Bridging the Gap
by AgoodWITCH
Summary: After having her heart broken, Bella comes to meet the handsome and caring Dr. Carlisle Cullen, her sister Esme's best friend. Can they find in the other what they've been searching for? NON-CANON PAIRING!
1. Bridging the Gap

**Title: Bridging the Gap  
>Author: AgoodWITCH<br>Disclaimer: Twilight is Stephenie Meyer's, I finally had the guts to have a little fun with the good doctor.  
>Summary: After having her heart broken, Bella comes to meet the handsome and caring Dr. Carlisle Cullen, her sister Esme's best friend. Can they find in the other what they've been searching for?<strong>

_My FGB piece, "Ruby Lips & Words of Want" was posted during the ffn fail of the last few weeks, please take a moment to check it out, if you haven't already!_

_We are in the last few weeks for contributing authors to sign up for "Finding Your Voice: Fandom Fights Mental Illness" links are on my profile.  
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**A/N: This was originally written for the FoxyFics fundraiser, thank you to everyone who participated. Special thanks to my WC girls for encouraging my first step into non-canon pairing and my awesome beta Mizzdee for dropping everything to spend a night with Carlisle so this would be in on time…there aren't words enough for how much I love you! Enjoy~**

"I'm going rip his throat out! Let's see how good he can croon to his tramps then." Bella could hear the venom in her sister's voice and it cracked her up a little. Esme Platt was the sweetest woman you could ever hope to meet, until you messed with her 'people'. And Bella Swan was definitely someone worthy of her sometimes motherly protection.

Renee and little Esme met Charlie Swan when her car broke down just outside of Forks thirty-four years ago. Renee was recently divorced and moving back to her childhood hometown to regroup. In the beginning, Chief Swan was nothing more than a friend, not wanting to push too hard when she was trying to find her place in the world with her young daughter. Friendship developed into a slow-moving relationship, which six years after they met, became a marriage.

Even though Renee had sole custody of Esme, her father refused to allow her to be adopted by Charlie. That was the last time Esme ever spoke to her father. Charlie became her dad in every way that truly mattered and when her mom became pregnant a few years later, Esme was excited for her parents. Bella Swan was born into the family and from the moment Esme first saw her, she started mothering her. The eleven-year age difference was a blessing to the Swan's as Esme helped out with her little sister, giving both of her parents a little bit of rest when they came home from work.

When Bella began to grow, it was Esme she ran to with questions about boys, her body and the ways of the world. Esme's decision to go to college in New York broke her young sister's heart, but they continued on as they always had and when Bella went to the same school years later, Esme helped her find her way in the city.

Therefore, when Esme received the hysterical call from Bella, she was more than ready to help her through this break up. "Es, please. Edward's only-"

"Edward Masen is only thinking with his dick! He's out there on the road and enjoying himself, only now he's worried you may find out, so he called and told you it wasn't fair to you to have to wait around for him to get back in town. We both know what he meant by 'really enjoy the tour' and for you to defend him-"

Bella growled, silencing her sister long enough to get a word in edge-wise. "I wasn't going to defend him, Esme. I was just going to say that he's being him. He thinks I'm going to wait around for him, but I'm done. I want to date someone who'll put me first for a change. Besides, I think he already found someone, that's why he called, so he could have a clear conscience and then come back to me if it doesn't work out."

Esme squealed into the receiver, causing her sister to pull her phone away from her ear. "Oh sweetie, I'm so glad to hear you say that. I want you to come out with me and my friends this week; I've got some great guys that you'd be perfect for."

"Esme, aren't these guys going to think I'm too young? No offense sis, but you're _old_."

Esme scoffed and then leveled her final threat. "You, little girl, are the stuff wet dreams are made of, and you're 25 now, so you're a grown woman and I'm giving them the okay to be respectful, or risk castration. I'll call you with details on when you're coming out with us. Talk to you soon."

"Bye Es." Bella hung up and climbed back under the covers, content to sleep the morning away before heading to work that evening. Bella's job at the NYU main library was a blessing in college, but when she was promoted to one of the supervisor positions after graduating, it was a godsend. Bella loved to read and write, so being paid to be around books was something she enjoyed. She also did data entry for a Brooklyn-based company, so between her two jobs, she had a decent income and time to play at her dream of being the next great American novelist.

As a low-on-the-totem-pole supervisor, Bella had to work with one other supervisor closing the library, but she preferred it because the late night shift meant less people to bug her. Esme called her three times during the week to confirm that she was coming to meet them at the bar when the library closed at 1am on Saturday, so when 1:05 rolled around, Bella wasn't at all surprised that her big sis was calling. "Yes, Esme, I'm still coming. I'll be there in 15 minutes."

The time it took Bella to answer her phone was all it took for him to slip past her notice. As soon the phone slipped back in her pocket, a hand covered her mouth and she instinctually tried to fight back. No matter how many times her father tried to instill in the girls that money and possessions could be replaced, but they could not, Bella's stubbornness won out. Bella managed to get in a few good swipes before the assailant got annoyed and slammed her into the nearby car before he pulled out his knife to cut the strap on her purse, catching her cheek on his upstroke.

The mugger made his getaway while Bella slipped out of consciousness, her phone and keys the only things she still had on her.

Meanwhile, Carlisle Cullen had just finishing his shift at NYU Medical Center a few blocks away and hoped that he'd make it out in time to catch his friends, but as he approached his car, something caught his eye on the sidewalk. Carlisle looked over the hood of his car to see a young woman who was lying on the wet cement. He quickly checked for any signs of neck or back trauma, but acknowledged that it was most likely a couple of bumps and bruises before bending down to pick her up. With her pressed to his chest her ran over the few blocks to the hospital and sat her on one of the empty beds. With no identification, he started his work-up, hoping that his patient had insurance to cover the tests he would need to run.

The nurses helped get her coat off and he began examining her, noticing that besides the cut on her face, nothing too serious was presenting itself, but as his patient was unconscious, he sent her for a cat scan to check out any possible damage there.

In the thirty minutes that the young woman was gone, her phone rang six times. When it began to ring for the seventh, Carlisle reached into her coat pocket and prepared himself to inform whomever it was that was this worried about the beautiful woman he'd carried into the ER, that their fears were well founded.

"Hello?" Carlisle answered, but was quite shocked by the response he received.

"Carlisle?"

"Esme, who were you calling?" Carlisle's mind was racing as his best friend began to panic on the other end.

"Why are you answering Bella's phone?" Bella, Esme's younger sister, the one who was coming out with them tonight, was his patient. And now he had to inform his best friend of the reason for both of their delays.

"Esme, you better come by the hospital, Bella's all right, but she's going to need you."

After a few minutes, Carlisle ended his call with a now hysterical Esme and made his way to the computer at the nurses' station to check on Bella's scans. Entering her name while he waited, he was happy to see that the CAT scan showed no damage other than a concussion.

As the orderly returned with Bella, Carlisle set up the supplies he'd need to stitch up her face, hopefully before her sister arrived. With his tools ready, he looked over at his sleeping patient and began to wonder how he didn't see the family similarities. Both women had heart-shaped faces, and although it was a different shade, Bella's hair had the same soft curls; they also had the same slender body type.

It was as he stood over her, admiring a person he knew so much about, but had somehow never met, that she began to stir. The sight of a man hovering over her had Bella jumping in the bed and almost falling off the opposite side. Carlisle raised his hands in surrender as he spoke to calm her. "Bella, I need you to calm down, you're in the hospital."

"What the…?" Bella scrunched her face and then recognition flashed across it. "He got my purse, shit; I have to cancel my credit cards and everything."

"Who?" Carlisle didn't know what led to her lying next to his car, but figured it was better that she talk it out while it was still fresh.

"The guy who mugged me. Can you check my pocket to see if my keys are in there? Otherwise I'm going to come home to an empty apartment."

Carlisle checked her coat and showed her that her keys were still there before he explained what he knew about the attack. Once she was a little calmer about the situation, Carlisle was able to stitch the gash in her cheek closed. No sooner did he have her cleaned up and ready to discharge, than Esme came flying into the ER, crying as she pulled her sister close.

"Bella, oh my God, are you alright?"

"I'm okay, Esme, its a few bumps and bruises, a cut and a concussion. Luckily, Carlisle found me when he did."

Esme pulled back and narrowed her eyes at Bella. "How did this happen?"

"I got mugged, it sucks because I have a lot of BS to deal with tomorrow, but it could have been worse."

Her sister's eyes bulged out of her skull before she took her arm. "You aren't going back to that apartment. I'll pay for you to break the lease, but you are not going to live in a place that some nutjob knows the address to."

"Es, I can't live with you, you're all the way uptown. I can't deal with that ride and the wait to get on the subway at all with all the Wall Street types trying to get downtown. I'll change my locks and it'll be fine. I'm sure he's not going to give me any trouble."

Bella looked at her sister, without a hope in hell that she'd allow it, but still trying to keep her independence. After watching the back and forth between the two, Carlisle posed a more immediate question. "Esme, are you going to be able to keep Bella up for the next several hours, because you've been up all day?"

"What are you offering, Doc?"

"You two could stay with me and we could take shifts keeping Bella awake until she's in the clear."

Esme smiled brightly and threw her arms around Carlisle's neck. "See, I knew there was a reason I kept you around. Come on, B. Let's go spend the night with the good doctor."

Bella looked uncomfortably between the two of them before sighing and nodding. Esme linked her arm through Bella's while Carlisle excused himself for a moment. Once Carlisle was ready to leave, the three of them walked to his car and Bella and Esme saw the small dent that she'd made. Both offered to pay for the damage, but Carlisle brushed them off as they drove to his condo.

Twenty minutes later, Carlisle was giving Bella a tour of his loft in the large brownstone industrial building, while Esme was changing into one of the pairs of scrubs he grabbed for them to change into before leaving the hospital. Bella marveled at the impressive space with four bedrooms and an office, not to mention a gallery and an open living and dining room across from the kitchen. The view was breathtaking and the décor was modern without being snobby. "This is amazing."

Carlisle chuckled as he scratched at the back of his head. "Thanks. This apartment used to belong to my uncle, so when he retired, my parents bought it from him. I never wanted anything this grand, but I managed to graduate high school two years early, and my grades and extra-curricular activities got me a full ride, so they wouldn't let me fight them on this. I saved them half of what this apartment costs in tuition alone, and my mother liked the idea of me living here, she always loved visiting my uncle here. Why don't you get changed and we can play some cards while Esme takes a nap?"

"Sure, thanks for getting us something to change into."

Carlisle smiled at the blush that tinted Bella's cheeks as she turned to head to the bathroom next to the kitchen. "My pleasure."

The next two hours were spent at the ebony dining room table that sat across from the kitchen, threats thrown across the table as the two played war. Their laughter did nothing to disturb a sleeping Esme, as they talked about their lives. After a slip, Carlisle had to tell Bella about the accident that took his parents from him; all the while, she offered comfort in the form of her hand gently resting on his forearm across the table. From there, Bella tried to lighten the mood with tales of her own misadventures at NYU, even admitting that she once got hopelessly lost in the very library she now works at.

As 4am approached, Bella took the stack of cards from Carlisle and began shuffling them. "You should have never let Esme go to sleep; she's down for the night. Now you're stuck with me."

"I definitely wouldn't call this 'stuck', I'm enjoying myself. You're an interesting woman, Bella Swan."

Bella's skin heated as she blushed from the tips of her ears down to her chest at his statement. "Most of Esme's friends still think of me as the little girl that followed her big sister across the country. Its part of the reason I use work as an excuse to not go out with them, I still feel like the seven year old tagging along while her and her friends hung out at the mall."

Carlisle dropped his voice and leaned across the table. "Believe me, when people look at you, the last thing they see is a little girl."

Bella's eyes flashed up before she divided the deck once again and handed him half. "Do you know how to play spit?"

Carlisle chucked to himself as they began setting up their cards before they looked up and a brilliant smile spread across her face. "Ready?"

"Whenever you are."

The two held each other's eyes as they counted down the start of the game. They continued to laugh and fight over who got their card to the stacks first, but when they both went out at the same time and their hands collided on top of the short stack, both gasped, yet neither made a move to pull away. It was at this time, just after 6:30 that Esme finally popped out of the bedroom yawning loudly. "Carlisle, if you want to get some sleep, I can stay up with Bella for a while."

Carlisle looked at his friend, her hair a mess and her eyes fighting against the sunrise that had lightened the sky enough to be visible on the south side of the building, and smiled. "Go back to sleep, Esme, I'm fine."

He wasn't sure if he was hearing things, but it almost sounded like Bella muttered 'I'll say' under her breath, a thought that made him smile to himself. With Esme now settled into the guest bedroom for a few more hours, Carlisle worked to learn more about the beauty that was sitting in front of him. He felt like she was a kindred spirit and hearing her talk about her work and her writing found him smiling often as she discussed researching the ways that men used to court women and how chivalry was almost extinct, present company excluded.

While Margaret Mitchell's story of the Old South had a heroine who used her femininity as a weapon against the men that surrounded her while she fought to get what she wanted, Bella was writing the story of a woman who had not made so many advancements in the fifty years that followed. However, when the boys once again were called to arms in the War to End All Wars, she used her wit to survive in the world left behind until her love returned.

The passion with which Bella talked about the life of a woman in the time leading up to and during WWI entranced Carlisle in the same way he found himself mesmerized by the workings of the human body. It was something that only enthusiasm could properly encourage an interest in, and Bella's knew no bounds.

By 8am, the desire to sleep was beginning to nag at Carlisle, in his mind he knew that the teasing, laughing and boisterous antics Bella had been exhibiting all night were proof that she hadn't sustained any lasting injury, but he was afraid that the connection he felt to her would vanish the moment she walked out the door. Hoping to push past his exhaustion for a few more hours, he excused himself to shower.

The hot water assaulted him as he leaned against the cold tile, trying to clear his mind. It wasn't until he caught a whiff of coffee and what he thought was bacon did he finish washing the shampoo out of his hair and threw on a comfortable pair of slacks and a light sweater and padded down the hallway to the kitchen where he found Bella plating breakfast.

"Bella, you didn't have to cook, you're my guest."

Bella shot a look in his direction as she handed him the food and turned to get their coffee. As she reached for the second mug, it slipped from her hand and crashed on the counter, breaking before scattering on the floor. Carlisle turned at the sound, running towards the kitchen before Bella screamed. "Don't move, you'll slice your foot open. Go get your vacuum while I pick up the big pieces."

"Bella, forget the mess, you dropped the mug and weakness is one of the symptoms that you're supposed to look out for after a concussion." Carlisle began mentally berating himself for not noticing that something was wrong, but Bella's laughter broke through his thoughts.

"Carlisle, you can quit the Dr. Cullen routine." She placed her hand, fingers fanned out wide, on her chest as she spoke. "I'm a klutz; it's one of my many charms, that was me being Bella, not brain damage. But thank you for worrying. Now, please get the vacuum and put on some shoes so we can get this cleaned and eat before it gets cold. You don't have much food in there and I don't think I'll be able to find enough to remake breakfast."

Still slightly thrown by the intensity of his instinct when it came to her, Carlisle put on his slippers and grabbed the vacuum out of the hall closet so he could help her clean the kitchen. Once everything was straightened up, they sat down to eat. Carlisle was appreciative of the rare home-cooked meal and thanked Bella profusely as she smiled and told him it was the least she could do. The dishwasher was filled and Bella was requesting her third replacement card when Esme came out of the guest bedroom.

"What, no breakfast for me?"

Bella shot her sister a glare before ending the call. "If you're going to move me out of my apartment, we have to figure out where I'm living. I need to go to the police station and get the paperwork so I can go to DMV tomorrow, but I'll need to give them the updated address as well."

Carlisle felt an urge in him that he hadn't before, but tried to fight it back, not wanting to scare Bella off. However, when the discussion over her apartment got loud he jumped in quickly. "What if you stayed with me while you're looking for something?"

The words were rushed, but it didn't slip past either sister as silence filled the condo. Panic struck, Carlisle started rambling. "I'm sorry, that was forward of me, I was just thinking that with the library being so close and the security in the building, you might think it was a good option for the short term. But we only just met and I-"

"Carlisle." He shut his mouth with a snap at the sound of Bella speaking his name. "It's sweet of you, but I…I don't want to g-get in your way. I'll be fine with Esme until then. We better go; I really need to get this taken care of."

Esme smirked; the proverbial feathers from the canary she had swallowed were threatening to escape with the laugh she was desperately holding back. _They're perfect for each other._ She thought to herself smugly. "Bella, Carlisle was the one to find you, plus he's the doctor that treated your injuries. Not to mention the dent in his car, I think it's smart if he joins us. That is, if you don't have something else to do?"

Carlisle happily admitted that he was free and they all changed to go to the 6th Precinct. Three hours later, after both were interviewed and Bella presented her discharge papers; she had the proper paperwork to claim that her license was stolen. After that, Carlisle drove them to Bella's apartment and Bella went in to speak with her landlord. Esme and Carlisle went to wait in her apartment while she hashed out exactly what it would cost her to break her lease. As soon as they were alone, Esme turned on her friend. "You'll be good for her."

Carlisle blanched and then attempted to play dumb. "Your sister is a lovely person and I'd like to get to know her better, but only as friends."

"You're a fool, Carlisle Cullen, but I love you, so when you realize that you have fallen for my sister, I won't hold this moment against you."

Carlisle tried to play off Esme's comment, but deep down, he was thrilled. He knew that there was something more on his side, but he didn't know how a young woman would react to where he was in life. He was content in his job, finally settling in to some semblance of authority in the ER and he had a beautiful home, great friends, but no one to share it with. He couldn't do casual, and more than anything, he couldn't handle falling hard for someone who wasn't ready to fall just as hard.

Bella's grumble alerted them to her arrival as she sat down on the bed. "Two months' rent, which was what my deposit was, so now all I have to do is get my stuff out. I don't even own a car, and where am I going to put it?"

"I've been using one of the rooms in Carlisle's place as a storage place for ages, I'm sure you could put some of it there, if for no other reason than it will save on a storage place. What do you think?"

"Sure. Just let me know when you have to be out by."

Bella smiled and grabbed her sister's hand. "My month ends on Thursday, so I have four days, or it will cost me three months."

Carlisle laughed and offered to help Bella pack up a U-Haul and get herself all setup at Esme's while she was at work. Bella thanked him, and they exchanged numbers before Bella and Esme started packing her things, asking Carlisle to get some boxes from a local bodega.

Carlisle found it safe out in the main room with her books and was once again impressed with the variety she had. Bella popped out of the bedroom to pack her kitchen. The rest of the day was spent packing a majority of her things and getting things set up for the following day. Carlisle had to be back to work Monday night, so he drove the girls' home and then settled into bed early; hoping to recover some of the sleep he'd willingly lost the night before.

Bella was done with the DMV relatively fast for a Monday morning, and soon sat beside Carlisle in the front seat of the U-Haul he rented to move her furniture to a storage facility close to Esme's place uptown. As they drove over the Brooklyn Bridge, Bella looked out over the water and sighed happily. "I love this bridge. There are times when I want to forget it all, and this is where I come. I walk over the pedestrian walkway and just hang out. Something about standing between the two boroughs and being able to see both sides, it's calming."

"You know, I've never walked across the Brooklyn Bridge." Carlisle mused as they got closer to her building and soon they were going through the process of emptying her place of her possessions for the trip back to Manhattan.

The day was tiring, but finally, they'd moved most of her belongings into storage or Esme's place, leaving some of Bella's more important things to go into Carlisle's spare room. As the last box was put in the room, Carlisle stood behind her with a smile on his face. "This time, we're getting take-out."

Bella giggled and grabbed the menu from a local Chinese place that she lived at in college and decided on what she was getting. Carlisle called in the order and went to get his things ready. Used to working the afternoon shift, Carlisle had switched his day a few weeks back and was now going to be at the hospital for the next 24 hours. Grabbing some time in the on call room would be a necessity while he was there, but he was well rested for now. Walking into his kitchen, he saw Bella standing by his fridge throwing things into the garbage without discretion. "When was the last time you went through your fridge?"

"You really don't want to know." Carlisle answered truthfully, as he watched her continue to clean out the entire appliance. "Why is it that every time you're here, I find you in my kitchen?"

"It's my favorite room in the house. Esme taught me to cook, so I have a lot of happy memories in the kitchen back home."

"Are you ready to be living with her again?"

"We'll be on different schedules; it will cut down on the shouting." Both of them laughed as the knock on the door signaled that their food had arrived.

Sitting down for another meal together, the conversation was still easy and there was no shortage of laughter. Bella had work tomorrow afternoon, so she'd be getting out around the same time as Carlisle, their schedules seeming to match up perfectly at such a late hour, so Carlisle made Bella promise let him walk her to her train on nights when he worked his usual shift.

The two friends fell into a routine over the next few weeks. Bella would cook enough dinner for three before heading to work, leaving Esme's in the microwave and packing two travel plates, one that she dropped off at the nurses' station at the ER, and the other she put in the fridge in the library for her own lunch hour. The nurses' quickly got to know Bella by reputation as much as from the moments she was at hospital, although not all of them thought of her fondly. The older nurses were pleased to see Dr. Cullen being taken care of by such a sweet girl, but the single nurses were jealous of how much he talked about someone they saw as being too young and mousy for a man like him.

At night, Carlisle usually left the hospital between midnight and 12:30 and went straight to the library to walk Bella to the subway, before waiting up until he got the text saying she'd made it home alright.

One day in May, Carlisle was enjoying an evening at home when there was an unexpected knock at the door. Across town, Bella was swearing as she through an overnight bag together, ignoring a fuming Esme as she slammed the apartment door.

Forty-five minutes and several deep breaths later, Bella wave hello to Carlisle's doorman as she ran to catch the elevator. Seven floors later, Bella stepped into the hallway and was soon standing in front of Carlisle's door. No sooner had he opened the door to her, a smile gracing his face, did she launch into a rant about Esme. "I hope your offers still good because-"

The sentence died in her throat though when two curious faces appeared in the entrance of the gallery. Bella's coloring paled before turning a deep scarlet as she looked between the older couple and Carlisle. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have barged in here like this…I'm gonna go. I'll call you later tonight."

Before Bella could make a clean getaway, Carlisle caught her wrist and pulled her into his side. "Its okay, Bella, this is Carmen and Eleazar. Carmen, Eleazar, this is Bella Swan. They were two of my teachers in Med School before they moved to Baltimore. They're in town for the week, so they stopped by to catch up before meeting some of the other NYU professors for dinner."

"And speaking of which," Carmen looked at her watch and then over to her husband, "we really should get going. Carlisle, a pleasure, as always. And it was nice to meet you, Bella." The pair of academics ventured to their dinner reservation as a flustered Bella stood in the entryway.

"Bella?" Carlisle's voice pulled her out of her stupor.

"I seriously shouldn't be allowed around people, I'm an idiot."

Carlisle chuckled softly as he took the bag that she still clutched in her hand and walked her across the end of the hallway to the second bedroom. Most people who stayed with him used the bedroom next to the master bedroom, but he wanted Bella to have the most space for her belongings, plus a few extra feet would hopefully help quell the pull he knew would be there.

"This is your room. We'll go get the rest of your stuff tomorrow morning, but why don't we sit down for now and you can tell me what happened."

Bella plopped on the bed and looked up at Carlisle, waiting until he sat before she started talking. "I've been avoiding Edward. I can't be just his friend, it's always been all or nothing and he was the one to decide we were nothing because of the tour. So I guess he called Esme's apartment when someone new answered my old number at the apartment, and she laced into him. She told him about me getting mugged so I got a bunch of frantic calls and when I answered, he started yelling. He was angry that I didn't call him after it happened, but it isn't as if it would have made a difference. He wouldn't have come home, and he wouldn't have told me that breaking up with me was a mistake, so I told him that there wasn't anything to discuss and he should enjoy the rest of his tour."

Carlisle pulled a now crying Bella into his arms and tried to quiet her. "Esme should have stayed out of it, but she's a meddler, it's her nature. Her loss is definitely my gain, though. You can stay as long as you like, and the only thing I want you to do is buy the groceries, because I am incapable of walking into a store and coming out with food that could make a complete meal."

Bella laughed and then turned to him seriously. "All you want me to do is feed you? I have to give you something else, I don't know; pay the cable bill or something?"

"Bella, as nice as this apartment is, it's awfully lonely. I wake up during the afternoon, work until the early morning and come home to an empty house. We're on the same schedule most of the time and I enjoy your company. You're doing me a favor by moving in."

"Thank you, Carlisle. Now, let's see if you have any food in the fridge so I can make us something to eat."

With Bella living in his apartment, Carlisle had to curb a few tendencies, although he would have continued walking out of the bathroom naked if it meant that Bella would do the same, but he would never dare admit it. The feelings that had started to grow for him were only spurred on by her proximity, with the night being the worst. When they came home from work and said goodnight, Carlisle went down the hall to his room where he lie awake, tossing and turning until sleep finally took him.

In the first few weeks that Bella lived with Carlisle, she slowly gave him the full story of Edward and her relationship, right down to the phone call that sent her running to his apartment. Although he couldn't understand how Edward could be such a fool as to let Bella go, he was happy that it had brought her into his life. Bella flew into his world and fixed all the things he didn't know were broken, filling the hole in his life with joy. On days when they were home together, they spent the hours watching movies and TV, Bella's favorite being the History Channel. They played games and talked, or sometimes they'd just sit on the large couch in the living room and read.

While Carlisle would willingly tell you how much he loved having Bella there, he'd be a gentleman and leave out the details that drove him to distraction. Nonetheless, Carlisle started storing a few snacks in his office and doing his laundry a few days after Bella in an effort to avoid the laundry area. The reason for this was Bella's bras couldn't go in the dryer, so she hung them out on the drying rack, unknowingly teasing her roommate. All it took was one glance at the satin and laced draped over the wooden dowels for his mind to instantly think of what Bella would look like if she were to model them for him.

In the same respect, Bella found it difficult to go into the small home gym that Carlisle had because the idea of him hot and sweaty, lying on the bench press, left her with an undeniable need to 'take a nap'.

May turned into June, and the pair continued their dance around one another, much to Esme's annoyance. However, she knew better than to get involved at this point, that they'd figure it out quicker without her assistance.

The dance came to a screeching halt mid-June with the wailing of ambulance sirens. The shift had already been a difficult one for Carlisle, but when the buses rolled in with three family members involved in a domestic dispute turned violent, the night turned ugly. His co-workers fought to save the wife and her husband, who had used his gun when words failed him, while Carlisle worked on their daughter. The six year old had been caught in the middle of it all. Carlisle knew that she had to be stable for her to go into surgery, but she was struggling to hold on. When after nearly an hour of pushing meds and trying to get blood into her faster than it was coming out, her little body finally gave up. Upset, he ripped off his gloves only to hear the doctor who had been treating the father say that his self-inflicted gunshot wound wasn't serious and he would likely survive surgery. That pushed Carlisle right over the edge. He went to the locker room and showered before asking one of the other doctors to cover his last twenty minutes.

The drive home took minutes and the entire time Carlisle tried to forget the brown hair in pigtails, which if they hadn't been stained with blood, would have been the same shade as Bella's. He got up to his floor and opened the door to the smell of Bella's muffins. Locking up, Carlisle made a beeline for the kitchen, where he was met by a surprised Bella. "Carlisle, you're early." The surprise faded as the look on his face instantly worried her. "What's wrong? Did something-"

Bella's question was cut off by Carlisle's hands grabbing her head and pulling her mouth into his. There was an intensity to the kiss that he hadn't originally intended, but seeing her erased all logical thought. She was the only thing that could make this impossible day better and after dreaming of it for so long, they were sharing their first kiss. It was as that thought entered his mind that he quickly registered the fact that he was the only one kissing. Bella wasn't kissing him back. Panic shot through him when he realized that he'd pretty much attacked the one person he wanted in his life without knowing how she felt about him. Carlisle pulled away and at the stunned look on Bella's face, he immediately tried to minimize the damage. "Bella, God, I didn't mean to attack you like th-"

This time, it was his sentence that was silenced as Bella grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her, reaching up into his hair as she kissed him. Carlisle's reaction time was much better as he wrapped his arms around her and held her to his body, enjoying how it felt to hold her like that. When they broke apart for air, Bella moved both of her hands to cup Carlisle's cheeks. "Rough shift?"

Carlisle nodded and they walked into the living room to talk. After the story was out there, Carlisle reached out to take both of Bella's hands in his. "I didn't just kiss you because I had a crappy night. I've wanted to do that for a while, but after today, you were the only thing that could take that feeling away."

Bella smiled as she squeezed his hands. "I'm glad I was able to kiss it and make it better."

The bark of a laugh that escaped him lightened the last of the tension as Carlisle readied himself for his next question. "Will you go out with me tomorrow? Like a real date."

"Yes, I'll go out with you. But right now, I think we better go to bed."

Nodding in agreement, Carlisle and Bella went to their separate bedrooms to get some much-needed rest. The following morning, Bella got up and made breakfast before signing into her work account and getting through some of the data entry she had waiting for her. When Carlisle woke up to see her sitting with black square glasses, he just stood there, staring. "You wear glasses?"

Bella looked up and shook her head at the expression he was wearing. "I normally wear contacts, but it's too early to fight with them. Are you hungry?"

Carlisle bent down to kiss her forehead and walked over to the kitchen. "I think I can manage. By the way, be ready by 6:30. I'll be picking you up at your door."

Getting off the couch, Bella followed Carlisle as he made his breakfast. "Carlisle, you don't have to pick me up. I'll just meet you out here."

"Let me do this part right, please? I've managed to mess everything else up-"

Bella reached out to take his hand, cutting him off. "Carlisle, you haven't messed anything up." Carlisle looked up at her and she realized how much it meant to him that this be done his way, so she conceded. "Fine, I'll wait until you pick me up."

Soon after he finished eating, Carlisle vanished into his office for a few hours, making arrangements for that night. Bella didn't know what to wear, but thankfully, a text from Carlisle helped make that decision. She took her time getting ready, having completed the work that had been waiting for her, doing her hair in a French twist and carefully doing her make-up, before slipping on her strapless, royal blue cocktail dress and a pair of kitten heels. Bella sat in the bedroom, smoothing out her dress nervously when the knock came right at 6:30. She opened the door to see Carlisle standing before her in charcoal slacks and a blazer with a warm gold button up on beneath it. The intake of air brought Bella's eyes back to Carlisle's face fast enough to see the lustful look they held before he smiled and managed to control himself. "You're exquisite, Bella."

Bella blushed and reached over to take Carlisle's arm. "Thank you, you look pretty fine yourself."

They both laughed as Carlisle walked her into the entryway and pointed out a bouquet on the table. "Those are yours, you can put them wherever you like later, but I wanted to get you something special."

"They're beautiful, Carlisle, and I'll leave them right there, that way they're the first thing I see when I come home."

Leading her downstairs, they got on the subway and had dinner at a small Italian place that Carlisle was fond of. The food was delicious, and the conversation was easy, just as it always was between them. Both had been nervous that it was going to be odd transitioning what they had into something more, but the time they had spent together eliminated the awkward getting to know you moments and allowed them to just be.

From the restaurant, they took a cab to the American Museum of National History. Walking up the steps, Bella stopped Carlisle. "The museum's closed, what are we doing here?"

"Not tonight, it isn't." Carlisle tried to lead Bella inside, but she was glued to the steps. He turned and laughed at the nervous look on her face. "Bella, I didn't pay them to open the library for us, it's a fundraiser for the museum."

"Oh, so they open the museum to people who buy tickets? This isn't a $1000 a person type of event, is it? Because if so, I feel completely underdressed."

Pulling her closer, Carlisle whispered into her ear. "You're perfect. This is an event aimed at the younger crowd; drinks, dancing, and a midnight show at the planetarium. Now, shall we?"

"I'm sorry, yes, let's go in."

"Don't apologize, I've gotten to know you well enough that I wouldn't do anything that grand for a first date. Plus, I thought you'd enjoy getting to party at the museum."

Bella and Carlisle walked in, where he printed their tickets from the kiosk and then headed down towards the planetarium; where there were tables set up with wine and beer and outfitted the large room with a band and lights to give it a club feel. Carlisle purchased some drink tickets and then walked over to the drink table to get them two glasses of wine. They stood off to the side, enjoying their wine while they continued the conversation from dinner, discussing books and movies that they insisted had to be added to the lists of things they had to try.

As they were talking, Carlisle noticed Bella swaying and humming as the band started playing a new song. "Would you like to dance?"

Bella looked up and smiled at Carlisle before shaking her head. "I'm not very good; I'll probably break your toe."

"I'm sure you aren't that bad. Please?" Bella gave in to the adorable pout and let him lead her to the dance floor.

The first few minutes were comical, as Bella found Carlisle's toes a few times until she huffed and stepped back. "You're going to be a cripple, can we please just stop."

He lifted her chin so that their eyes met and shook his head. "Stop looking at your feet and just relax, focus on me."

Bella did as he said and they were soon dancing across the floor. Her laughter tinkled through the hall and when they stopped to get another glass of wine, she still couldn't believe that she'd danced that long without tripping or stepping on him.

Before they knew it, they were herding everyone into the planetarium and Carlisle and Bella found a seat near the back, the armrest between them was pushed up and Carlisle tucked Bella into his side as they reclined and stared up at the night's sky that was projected above them. The presentation began and Harrison Ford's voice rang out, speaking about the possibility of life on other planets. The next hour was filled with sporadic musings of how much better the show would be with some weed, and Han Solo being yelled out more than a few times, but it didn't enter the happy couple's bubble. Carlisle's arm was around Bella's shoulder and her hand sat on his leg, her thumb tracing back and forth over his kneecap.

Those gentle touches turned into sweet caresses, which led to kissing in the darkened room. The heat between them was palpable as the slow burn that they'd been building over the last few months was erupting into a smoldering fire and neither one of them wanted to fight it. The lights came up, stopping the impromptu make out session.

Exiting the museum, Bella shivered at the drop in temperature, which had her enveloped in Carlisle's blazer before she could ask. "Tonight was lovely, that was the most thoughtful date I have ever been on. Thank you for that."

"I'd do anything to see you smile like that. Let's go home."

Carlisle hailed a cab and 30 minutes later, they were walking into their apartment. Continuing to be a gentleman, Carlisle walked her to the door and stole one last kiss before saying goodnight.

In the next few weeks, Carlisle and Bella went on several dates and tried to spend a little time together on the days they both worked. He had a bouquet of flowers delivered for Bella every week and it sat in the same spot as the one he got her on their first date.

The hospital administrators made changes to the scheduling system, so he was now working 6am to 6pm instead of the noon to midnight. The changes made Carlisle happy, as he now got more time to spend with Bella. He'd pick her up every night when the library closed, and one night during the second week of July, Bella came bounding out of the library with a smile that naturally caused Carlisle to smile in return. "Good shift, sweetheart?"

"Angela is going to grad school and she asked to switch shifts with me so she can study after her classes. I'm on the same schedule as you! No more late nights or boring shifts. I don't care that it means less research and writing time, because I can do that at home, with you."

"Oh, Bella, I'm so happy for you. I hated these late nights after the night we met. I can't believe that it's been three and a half months since that night. Even with how scary it was with what happened to you, I'm happy that I met you."

"I'm happy too. You've…you're one of the best things to happen to me." Carlisle kissed her and then walked her to the car so they could go home.

Angela and Bella got the supervisor to approve the schedule change and started working the new hours that following week. It was while trying to get used to the new sleep patterns that she felt herself coming down with something. Carlisle had offered to have a friend of his look her over, but she had a doctor at the local health clinic and told him if it got bad, she'd visit him.

Carlisle came home one evening to see the latest flower arrangement in its vase in the entryway and smiled, that meant Bella was home from work, the new schedule in the ER meant that he was seeing more daylight, and with that, more of his girlfriend. He could smell that dinner was almost done, but was a little confused to see that all the lights were off in that half of the house. He stepped into the living room to see Bella relaxing on the chaise lounge, a bunch of pillows propping her up and a washcloth over her eyes. He knew that she'd been feeling poorly the last week or so, but knew the cold would run its course and soon enough, he'd have his Bella back.

"Still feeling sick?" He asked, but she quickly shushed him and slumped down further, her hand pressing the washcloth over her eyes.

"My head is killing me and I wish the front of my face was a mask I could just take off and fling against the wall."

He snickered softly before bending down to place a kiss on her forehead, but as soon as his lips met her heated skin he pulled back. "Bella, you're hot."

"Carlisle, I don't feel good, and I'm sure I look like death warmed up."

"That's what I'm talking about, you have a fever, sweetheart."

She sat up, the cloth falling to her lap as she turned to look at him. "You always feel cold to me, I think it's just that throwing you off."

Carlisle walked down to the master bathroom, got the thermometer, and came back to where Bella was squinting at him. "Please humor me?"

Bella opened her mouth and let him take her temperature as his hand brushed the hair from her face, his palm resting against her forehead until the thermometer beeped and he took it out of her mouth. "What's the verdict?"

"You have a fever; now tell me, besides your face, what else is wrong?"

She rubbed her head and really thought about it. "It just feels like a cold. I'm congested and I've got a constant headache, my neck is killing me, but that's more the tension headache on top of the one I already had from feeling so crappy. I just want to chop off my head." The whine that escaped Bella on the last sentence tugged at Carlisle's heart, Bella was not a whiner.

"Okay, now does this hurt at all?" Carlisle applied some pressure to her nose and cheeks and Bella hissed in pain. "I'm sorry," he pulled her to his chest and rubbed her back. "You have a sinus infection. I'm going to call in a prescription for some antibiotics and have the pharmacy deliver it, now go change into something comfortable and I'll finish up dinner."

Bella walked off as Carlisle placed the call, then turned his attention to dinner. When Bella returned they sat down to eat, but she only picked at it, claiming it tasted off, another clue to her condition. Bella called the library and let them know she'd be out sick for the next three days and would pick up the shifts when she came back, giving her the next five days off to get this under control before returning to the harsh lights and long hours at work. Going to bed after taking her medicine, Carlisle stayed up a little while longer, before heading off to his room as well.

Around 2:30, while on his way back from the bathroom, Carlisle heard noises from Bella's room so he poked his head in to check. There he found Bella crying as she tossed and turned in the large bed. Carlisle went to her and shook her shoulders lightly until she woke up. "Shh, Bella, it's alright. Why are you crying, sweetheart?"

"It just hurts. I can't sleep and I can't relax, it just aches." Bella looked up at Carlisle as he placed a kiss on her cheek and then vanished for a moment, returning with a large triangle pillow.

"Move over a little bit." Carlisle climbed onto the bed and sat the pillow at the head of the bed, before moving Bella up the pillow and slid in behind her.

"Carlisle, I'm sick and pathetic, I don't want you to see me all disgusting."

He looked over at her, turning her chin to face him. "Do you not want me here because you don't want me here, or because you're worried that I might love you less seeing you like this? Because if it's you being sick and not wanting someone in your space then I'll see you in the morning, but if you're worried about it grossing me out then move over, because I work at a hospital and nothing is so gross that it will make me love you less."

"You love me?" Bella's eyes were dancing in her sleep-hazed state, causing Carlisle to laugh as he pulled her heated body closer to his.

"You would pull that from my entire monologue. Now try and sleep, the incline should help alleviate some of the pain."

The next few days consisted of Bella in her room, doing extra work from home when the computer wasn't bothering her while Carlisle was at the hospital, and nights cuddled together in her bed. It was a little difficult for him to be that close to her and not push for more, but he knew that his patience would be rewarded.

The last evening before Bella was supposed to go back to work was spent cleaning, now that she was feeling better she took to making the apartment look nice and making a nice dinner for Carlisle to come home to after a week of soup and sandwiches. Taking a nice shower, Bella got ready and was waiting for Carlisle when he got home. "You seem to be feeling better?"

"Much better, now why don't you get washed up and I'll get the rest of dinner finished up."

Carlisle was so happy to see Bella excited and smiling again. Dinner was fabulous and he was quick to compliment before they cleared the dishes and settled in to watch some TV. He noticed Bella trying to stretch her neck out some, so Carlisle slid in close and started massaging her shoulders. "You're still stiff? Come here, I'll help you work out those kinks."

Bella moved so Carlisle could slide into the corner of the couch so Bella could sit between his legs. "It's my neck and shoulders that are really bothering me."

Carlisle worked slowly to get the knots out of her shoulders and Bella's moaning was so not helping his problem. Bella could feel it pressing against her and feeling the tension leave her, her hands started kneading his thighs. Carlisle faltered and he leaned in to whisper to her. "Darling, that feels amazing, but if you keep it up, this massage will be over very quickly."

Bella's hand trailed up his thigh and down his crotch, rubbing him through his slacks as she looked at him over her shoulder. "You want me to stop things like _this_?"

He leaned in and kissed her, before pulling away long enough to grab her and lead her to his bedroom. At his door, Bella stopped and kissed his chin. "I'll be back in a minute." She winked and padded off towards her bathroom.

Carlisle stripped to his boxers and turned down the bed, hoping to kill the few minutes until Bella returned. He heard the door open and turned to see Bella walk in with her nightgown clutched to her chest. A chill raced up her spine as she sat the clothing on the dresser and she crossed to where Carlisle stood. He took her into his arms and kissed her as passionately as he could. Her hands ran up his chest as she held tightly to his shoulders.

His lips left hers and travelled to her ear as he whispered his love for her. They removed the remainder of their clothing as Carlisle led her to the bed. Bella climbed on top of Carlisle as they moved together, his hands travelling down to her thighs where he massaged them in a similar way to the attention she'd given him earlier. The combination of sensations had Bella bucking against him. It was as they slid together that Bella was so happy that Carlisle had talked to her about her birth control and the fact that they'd both been tested after their last relationships ended. Bella had been embarrassed to admit that she gotten herself tested regularly when Edward came from a tour, hoping it would hint to him, but it never caught on.

Any thoughts of her ex flew out of her mind as Carlisle lifted her enough so that he was positioned at her entrance. She looked down and captured his lips as she slid onto him, the mutual moans dying in each other's mouths. Needing to lead their lovemaking, Carlisle rolled them over and started moving within her. The angle of penetration as Carlisle hooked Bella's legs over his hips was unlike anything she'd ever felt. Carlisle knew how to please a woman and the woman below him, who was praising any god who would listen, was the only one he wanted to be with. "Oh, oh God! Carlisle…hmmm."

"That's it Bella, I want to hear you scream my name. Let me know how good it feels, because you feel perfect around me."

"So good…oh…right there. Yes! Oh baby."

Carlisle's pace quickened at the sound of Bella's pleasure, his own words pouring from his lips. "Bella, I'm close, so close."

"Me too, Carlisle." Carlisle's thrusts became sporadic as his orgasm hit him, Bella's following soon after as they both called out for the other. Carlisle slumped to the mattress as Bella's legs unwrapped from around him. He tried to shift his weight off her, but she just held him closer. "No. I want to feel you next to me."

"Okay, come here sweetheart." Carlisle shifted and pulled Bella to his chest. And that's where they stayed for the rest of the night.

The next morning, Bella made breakfast while Carlisle jumped in the shower, his day of errands had a few more stops after last night. Bella was working an earlier shift and he was already cooking up a very special evening as the water pelted his back.

The library was busy so Bella was trying to keep ahead of the piles of books that the students were using, hoping the day would end uneventfully.

Bella was still putting books away in the stacks when a voice she never expected to hear again called out to her. "Baby!"

She spun to find Edward's lips insistent on hers, but she pushed him back, shushing him for yelling in the middle of the library. "Edward, what are you doing here?"

"I know, I should have called, but you'll never believe what happened when we were in LA for the last few shows. Some record exec was in the crowd and he had me come and meet with him, and he signed me! Now before you ask, yes, I had my dad look over the contracts and they're good. I'm going to be an opening act for NKOTB, which is kind of lame, but I'll get to party with Donnie Wahlberg. Then when we get back to LA I'm gonna record an album. Just think about it, you and me, on the road. Then we'll find a place in LA while I'm recording and you can really write, not play at it while sitting here sorting books."

Bella pulled back and started shaking her head, confused by his ramblings. "Edward, what are you talking about?"

"Baby, we're moving to LA. What do I have to get on one knee?" Edward dropped down just like he said, still clinging to her one hand. "Marry me, Bella."

Bella ripped her hand from his and stared at him like he was crazy. "Edward, you dumped me. I'm not marrying you; I'm not even dating you. I've moved on."

"What do you mean, 'moved on'? I've only been gone a few months and it's been what, two months since I asked to take a break?"

"It's been more than that, and in that time I found a great _man_. He's a doctor and he has an apartment in the industrial brownstone on 13th Street. I'm living with him now."

Edward's face turned, repulsed by the things he was hearing. "Didn't take you long to find a sugar daddy. He's a doctor, so he must be one of Esme's friends, or he treated you when you tripped over air and started perving on his patient…oh my god…you're fucking that doctor from when you were mugged, aren't you? It's nice to know you found someone to keep you warm while I was gone."

Bella was shocked silent as Edward stood there hurling one accusation after another at her. "Get out," Bella barely whispered, but Edward heard as he stormed out muttering what sounded like 'gladly' as he went.

Bella ran back to the help desk and grabbed her phone, making her way for the break room so she could call Carlisle. He answered on the second ring, his normal, chipper self. "What's up sweetheart? Slow evening?" Bella let out a stuttered breath as she cried into the receiver. "Bella? Bella, what's the matter? Why are you crying?"

"Edw—Edward was…here. He got signed and asked me to…marry him, but I told him that we were over…that I'd moved on. He was so cruel, Carlisle. How could I have ever stayed with him? He made me sound like I'm some kind of whore for dating you-"

"He called you a whore?" The anger in Carlisle's voice was barely masked, but Bella quickly quieted it.

"Not in those words. Look, I'll be home in about two hours, would you mind if we ordered in? I don't feel like cooking."

"Of course, sweetheart, whatever you want. I love you."

"I love you too, Carlisle." Bella hung up and then fixed her face before returning to work.

Meanwhile, Edward used his time to stew a little more before remembering one important bit of information he'd learned from Bella. Hopping in a cab, he arrived at their building and made it as far as the doorman before he had to think fast, his mind already two steps ahead. "Sir, can I help you?"

"Yes, you can. I'm in town to see my sisters, and one of them moved in with her boyfriend recently, Bella Swan? I just…I can't remember the apartment. Would you be able to help me out?"

The older gentleman postured, not sure if he should let the young man in. "I don't know, if you aren't announced…"

"She doesn't know I'm here, I actually called her boyfriend when he was at the hospital so I could surprise her."

Seeing how much he knew about them, the doorman relented and gave him the correct number as Edward jogged to the elevator. Stepping up to the door, he knocked, not expecting that Bella wasn't going to be the one home alone.

"Can I help you?" Carlisle wasn't sure who the man at his door was, but definitely didn't expect the greeting her received.

"Dude, she dumped me for you? You've gotta be fucking loaded."

Carlisle took one look at the kid in front of him and tried to close the door, but his hand was faster, pushing his way in. "Get the hell out of my house!"

"I bet you don't let Bella see that temper, you probably play it really cool for her, throw a bunch of money at her. Is that how you snaked my girl?"

"You must be Edward." Carlisle chuckled to himself as he looked over Bella's ex. "You _had _an amazing woman, and you threw her aside so you could _play_ like a child. We got to know each other and it developed into something more, but unlike you, I don't' ever plan on letting her go."

Edward stepped up into Carlisle's face and tried to intimidate him, but it wasn't working. "You were a rebound, _old man_; she needed someone to help her get over me. I've got my whole future ahead of me and I can offer her a lot more than a cushy apartment. She could see the world with me, meet all types of celebrities, she'll come back to me once she gets bored."

Carlisle laughed and shook his head at the ignorant man in front of him. "Do you really know that little about her? Bella's more comfortable in sweats watching the History Channel than she is in a dress out at a party. It's no wonder she came running to me the last time you spoke to her. And she called me today too, so I know that she turned you down. You're just here to raise a little hell on your way out. So you've done that…now leave."

Edward turned but instead of leaving, he caught Carlisle right in the cheek, sending him back a step. "Whatever man, enjoy your girl, you've paid for her."

That comment sent Carlisle off, causing him to run at Edward before he felt the pair of arms wrap around his waist. "Carlisle, don't!"

Bella's voice was enough to calm him as he turned to see her staring at him, not paying any mind to Edward until she saw Carlisle's cheek. Her hand ran up to lightly brush over it before she turned on Edward. "You _hit _him? What the fuck is wrong with you? I knew there was trouble up here when they told me my brother was here, but seriously? Just leave me alone. I don't _ever _want to see you again."

Edward saw how she turned back to Carlisle, fussing over his cheek and for the first time since she'd spoken the words this afternoon; he realized he really had lost her. The couple heard, rather than saw Edward leave as Bella led Carlisle into the bathroom to get him cleaned up.

"Carlisle, what was he doing here? Why did you let him in?"

"Bella, I didn't. He barged in and started talking about you and…I tried to keep calm but that last dig-"

Bella smoothed her hand over his cheek one more time as a sigh escaped her. "I never thought I'd see you that upset, I mean, you lunged at him."

Carlisle took her hand in his, a sorrowful look in his eyes. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry you had to see me like that. That isn't me, Bella, I'm not violent but he just pushed me too far. He could have called me every name in the book, but to go after you, I couldn't take it."

Bella shushed Carlisle and kissed his lips lightly before tugging on their joined hands. "Come on, let's go to bed." Bella led Carlisle to his room where they curled up together and relaxed, falling asleep without ever having dinner.

The next two days were busy as work took most of their energy, but on the morning of her next day off, Bella went into the small room they used for storage, hoping to dig out one of the books she wanted Carlisle to read, but instead, she came face to face with several large boxes blocking her way.

"Carlisle?" She called out and was surprised by how quickly he popped his head in.

"Sorry hon, I was hoping to surprise you with that the other night, but things got derailed."

She shot him a curious look. "What is all of this?"

"A library, or at least it will be. I have a ton of books from my parents plus my own and now you have yours, it's an impressive collection. That is, if you want to combine them?"

"You want to combine our books? That's like…"

"It's like asking you to move in, except we already live together, so I want you to be more than my roommate. We're together, I love you and I want us to break down those last few things keeping us separate. Help me put together our library and move out of the guest room."

"I haven't slept in there since…"

"But your clothes are still in there and there was that night last week-"

"I fell asleep reading when you had to stay late at the hospital, but if it will make you feel better, I'll move my things after we get these bookshelves built. Fair enough?" Bella quirked an eyebrow at Carlisle, which only made him smile more. Leaning in to kiss her, they wasted quite a few minutes before they got to work emptying out the room.

Once it was empty, Bella swept the wood floor before they started working on the bookshelves. In a few hours, the two of them had the shelves lining two walls of the small room and then Carlisle set out to find the perfect couch and rug for the room, as Bella demanded that she was going to organize the books properly. When he returned, many of the boxes were opened and the books were all stacked, Bella's need for her library to have a system made him smile.

It took most of the evening, but finally the books were up by category, with room for new additions, and a romantic meal, delivered from the Thai place down the block was a nice end to their hard day of compromise.

Time continued to pass for the couple, both busy, but never so much that they couldn't make time to spend together. Summer escaped them, and as September came around both started thinking about how much had happened in the past six months.

One afternoon, Bella was restocking Carlisle's snacks in his office, something she thought was too funny once she forced him to divulge the true reason, when she accidentally found something that she was never meant to find.

To open the bottom drawer in Carlisle's desk you had to open the top one as well to trigger the locking mechanism, but as she did, the sight of a tiny velvet box stopped her movement. Reaching in stealthily to see what it was, desperately hoping it was a pair of cufflinks, Bella gasped at the sight of an antique engagement ring.

Fear shot through her as she thought about how it was too soon, that he couldn't be thinking of asking her to marry him yet, but then another thought crossed her mind, one she'd never once let bother her before. _You're eight years apart, he's at the age where he'd want to settle down and he hasn't been shy about telling you that you were it for him. This is what he wants, he's ready for it._

_But I'm not._

With that final thought, Bella had to go and get some air, she needed time to think and compose herself so she could figure out her next move. Making sure the ring was in the same spot she found it; Bella grabbed her coat and hopped on the 4 train, taking it to the City Hall stop.

Almost two hours later, Carlisle came home, surprised that Bella wasn't there to greet him. He stopped in the kitchen to get a drink and then went into his office, wanting to get a little work done before her return. As he went to grab a snack from his not-so-secret hiding place, he noticed the top drawer was a little too neat for how he left it this morning, and he now knew why their apartment was empty.

Calling Bella's phone, he got her voicemail just as he entered the elevator. Using the same method as she had in her panic, Carlisle arrived at the one place he knew to look for her, the place she loved to spend time when she had something to think about, a place he'd never been to on foot before, the Brooklyn Bridge.

Coming out of the station, Carlisle made it to the pedestrian walk and started looking for Bella, needing to know what had made her flee. Near the Brooklyn side, Bella was leaning near one of the light posts, trying to think. It was the sound of his voice that brought her back to the present. "Why did you run?"

"Carlisle."

He walked up to her, placing an arm on either side of her so she couldn't escape this conversation, he asked again. "I know what you saw, so why did you run away?"

"I needed time to think, to make sense of everything and decide what I was going to say to you."

Carlisle nodded and then whispered to her, "What did you decide?"

"I love you, and you've made me _so_ happy…but I'm not ready for marriage. It's too soon, Carlisle. We've only known each other six months and we weren't together for the first two. I know that being older, you're in a better place to think about settling down, but I need more time. I'm not saying no, I'm only saying not yet."

"Are you finished?" There was no anger in his tone, it was simply him needing to know that she was finished speaking her peace.

"Yes." The fear was back, but now it was because Carlisle had the ability to save her or destroy her with his next words.

"Bella, that ring you found, was my mother's. Now I have been looking at it more now that you're in my life, but I wasn't planning on using it yet. I know that you aren't ready, and that's okay with me. I've never pushed you for more than you were willing to give and I wouldn't ask that question until I was sure of your answer, because I couldn't survive a refusal. Edward was almost three years of your life between the on and off, and he hadn't thought about it until he came home this last time, so I understand that we have to really be ready for that step. But we will take it, someday. My age isn't an issue in the matter, unless it is for you. It's never come up, but if dating an old man-"

"You aren't old! I just know that you have your life and your job and the one thing missing is a family. I see it with you, and it's more real than it's ever been with anyone I've dated. I just need more time, I need to fight with you more, and make up with you. See new things together and share our worlds…"

"Like walking across your bridge?" The smile that overtook Carlisle's face was breathtaking and Bella used her excitement to surprise him with a kiss. As they broke apart, Carlisle looked down at her, knowing that what they had, had not been shaken by this night, that no matter how large the gap between them was, they'd bridge it together. "Let's go home, my Bella."


	2. Bridge Over Troubled Waters

**A/N: First of all, I have to thank Mizzdee, my beta and cheerleader for standing behind me on this fic and seeing it completed in time for the compilation. This was probably the hardest time I've ever had writing a fic, mainly because I know non-canon pairings are harder to accept, so I wanted it to be perfect. Secondly, to Rosalynn, my banner maker and dear friend. This was originally for the Fandom 4 LLS and is now free to post!**

**SM owns Twilight, I'm just giving the good doctor some young blood. I hope you enjoy.**

**Bridge Over Troubled Water**

It seemed like an eternity ago that Bella and Carlisle stood on the Brooklyn Bridge after she ran from his mother's ring; but as she looked down at the heirloom that sat firmly on her ring finger, she couldn't fight the smile it brought to her face.

Life was happy and Bella had everything she could want. Carlisle was still the doting and devoted man she'd met on that fateful night three years ago, and last year they'd made it official.

Now the wife of her darling doctor, Bella was working full-time on her writing, hoping to one day make that dream come true and contribute a bit more financially. The familiar jingling of keys alerted her to the time and Carlisle's arrival from work. Walking out of the kitchen to great him, she laughed as he threw his bag down and swept her into his arms.

"I've missed you," Carlisle whispered into her hair. "All of these extra shifts after we lost the interns for their vacation are killing me. Is it August 1st yet?"

Bella squeezed him tighter as he sat her back on the floor. "Soon enough, sweetheart. Now, go get cleaned up, I have been waiting all week to have dinner with my husband."

"You're so patient with me, marrying you was the smartest thing I've ever done," Carlisle remarked as he walked down the hall.

"I'm not that patient, Carlisle," Bella yelled after him, "and there's something else that will have to wait another month."

Carlisle reappeared back in the great room a few seconds after she spoke. "When did it start?"

"Tuesday, right after you left." Bella's eyes fell to the floor and she once again felt Carlisle's arms embrace her.

"I'm sorry; I wish I had been here for you more. If I had known, I wouldn't have crashed at the hospital. You shouldn't have had to face it alone."

Bella scoffed, "Sweetheart, I've been getting a visit from Aunt Flo since I was twelve. I think I'm able to cope with the cramps and you're better off not having to deal with my bitch-on-wheels impression."

"This isn't just your period, and we both know it. We'll have our baby when the time is right." Carlisle could see that he wasn't getting through to her, so he switched tactics. "It took your parents a few years after they were married to have you, didn't it? And if it takes a little longer to have a child as special as you, it is well worth the wait. Six months isn't cause for concern."

Sighing, Bella relented and kissed Carlisle's cheek. "Okay, I won't worry…yet. Please go and get ready, the timer will be going off any minute."

"Yes dear."

After dinner, when they sat together watching TV, Carlisle brought up something he'd been meaning to tell Bella about since he heard the news. "Bella, Jasper is moving here with Alice before the end of the month. He's been offered an attending position in the psychiatric ward at the hospital."

"That's amazing," Bella gushed. She'd met most of Carlisle's remaining family at their wedding and his cousin Jasper and his now-fiancée were two of her favorite people. "When did you find out?"

"I knew about it a month ago, but he had a few other offers. In the end, Alice's excitement over the potential for her to showcase her artwork in a New York gallery and their desire to be closer to family made NYU the clear choice."

"Why hasn't Alice called me? There's so much to do. They need a place to live and furniture and…" her sentence died off as she noticed the amused look on Carlisle's face. "Don't look at me like that, Carlisle Cullen, or you'll be taking matters into your own hands tonight."

"You wouldn't do that to me?" Carlisle asked. "Darling, I've been doing that all week. Every time I went to nap in the on call room, I'd think about how much I wanted you with me and I'd have a very persistent problem to take care of."

"Poor baby," Bella yawned and Carlisle took that as a hint to take his wife to bed.

*CB*

A week after her phone call to Alice about their move, Bella was picking her friend up at the airport so they could begin their search. Alice's clear instructions gave Bella the parameters to find several luxury apartments and condos in the area around the hospital.

With jetlag a joke to someone as energetic as Alice, the girls grabbed some lunch and went to the first place on the list. Two days of searching later, Alice had a bunch of pictures attached to an email to Jasper, proclaiming the condo four blocks from Bella and Carlisle's place to be perfection. With Alice and Jasper's living situation on hold for the moment, Alice and Bella returned home and Bella started to prepare dinner.

"So what's it like being married to your own Dr. McDreamy? I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that next year, Jasper and I will finally be taking the plunge." Alice was bouncing while Bella continued to work on the dinner prep.

"I love it. Carlisle is the most loving and compassionate man I've ever known. He is the only person who makes me feel completely safe." Bella gushed at the thought of her husband.

"Has he said anything about plans for your birthday? Because you know I am going to take you out to celebrate you like the diva you are."

"I'm the furthest thing from a diva and you know it," Bella quipped just as the door opened.

"That smells delicious, love." Carlisle walked into the kitchen and caught Bella around the waist. "See any places you liked, Alice?"

"Only my dream home! I'm waiting for Jasper to call me and-" 'Sweet Home Alabama' started to blare out of Alice's purse and she hopped off the barstool. "Oh, that's him now, excuse me."

Carlisle and Bella both laughed at her behavior before he turned her to face him. "I took off next Thursday, and I have an idea about how we could spend it."

"Why do I have a feeling clothing will be optional?" Bella teased, but before they could go any further, Alice returned to the great room.

"So, Jasper agreed that it was exactly what we're looking for. He's calling to have them draw up the paperwork and overnight it to him once everything is set and then we'll be ready to look for furniture."

Alice's enthusiasm became contagious, and soon the three of them were joking about Bella being close enough to make to-go orders for Alice and Jasper so their condo wasn't burned down by Alice's cooking.

The weeks leading up to Jasper's flight to New York and their official move were hectic, but Carlisle and Bella still made plenty of time for each other, including one very lazy day spent in bed during the middle of the month.

As October began, and another monthly visit dampened Bella's spirits, she tried to focus on other things. Her manuscript, which she had only been researching when she met Carlisle was now being shopped around by her literary agent and she was hoping for good news to arrive any day.

With the condo officially theirs, Bella was helping with paint chips, furniture sets, and fabric swatches while the men-folk worked hard at the hospital.

On one such day, Bella and Alice were driving to look at a dining room set when the comments from the DJ on the Top 40 station they were listening to caught their attention.

"_We're moments away from premiering the first single off of Edward Masen's sophomore album, Lethal Weapon, and let me tell you, this one is sure to be a hit."_

"Oh my God, I love Edward Masen! I swear if I ever met him, I would totally do him," Alice fangirled beside Bella, who felt like she might be sick.

"What about Jasper?"

"Edward is my freebie," Alice explained.

"Trust me, he isn't worth it," Bella muttered as they stopped at the light, gaining Alice's full attention.

"What did you just say?"

"What," Bella feigned ignorance, "I'm just saying there are way better guys to have be your freebie."

"I'm calling bullshit," Alice announced. "That wasn't a 'he's not that cute' kind of a comment; you said that like you knew from experience."

Bella was silent for a minute and then Alice gasped. "Wait a fucking minute. Are you telling me that the wannabe rock star that you broke up with before you met Carlisle was _Edward Masen_?"

"Will you please stop saying his name like you just came," Bella groaned. "And to answer your question, yes. The scumbag that wanted to take a break to bang random chicks while on the road and then made it big and thought I'd follow him to LA is none other than Edward Masen. But believe me, for all his smooth moves, he's a snake and a rat bastard."

Bella was about turn off the radio when the DJ came back on.

"_As if you didn't need another reason to love your Sirius satellite radio, we're giving you another exclusive sneak peek. So here's the moment you've been waiting for, Edward Masen's newest single, 'Plain Jane.'"_

The honk of the horn behind her shook Bella from her daze just as the song began.

You said my love wasn't enough  
>That I was never around much<br>But it was you that stayed behind  
>I couldn't hold my dreams for you<br>Until you reached yours too

Ya found my replacement fucking fast  
>Swear up and down that we're the past<br>I guess the old man's got you bad  
>I won't let it get me down<br>I'll just hit the town

I can't find it in me to miss you  
>I'm so much better now that you're gone<br>I've found someone who really gets me  
>And all that's left of you, Plain Jane, is this song<p>

I'm sure you claim you're satisfied  
>Bet his money keeps you happy<br>But does he make you scream like me  
>Or is that just another lie<br>You say to get by

I'm immature and you're a bore  
>I drank to excess then ripped your dress<br>You never bitched about it then  
>Yet now I'm too wild for you<br>Well screw you too

I can't find it in me to miss you  
>I'm so much better now that you're gone<br>I've found someone who really gets me  
>And all that's left of you, Plain Jane, is this song<p>

My new lady understands  
>She can live with my job's demands<br>And there's no doubt about my love  
>My baby's all I want<p>

I can't find it in me to miss you  
>I'm so much better now that you're gone<br>I've found someone who really gets me  
>And all that's left of you, Plain Jane, is this song<p>

By the time the music had faded out, Alice had the radio off and hugged Bella to her chest. With the shopping trip forgotten, they pulled over and switched seats and Alice started driving back to the apartment just as Bella's phone rang.

"That evil little sniveling bastard!" Esme's voice echoed through the car. "If I wasn't in Washington taking care of Mom and Dad, I would be on a plane to LA to fuck that little shit up."

"Es, I don't need Mama Bear to show her claws…because then I'd have to admit to the fact that I thought it was about me." Bella was trying to hold it together, but it wasn't working too well.

"Bella, you used to always call yourself a 'plain Jane' and he's making it clear that it's about his last serious girlfriend, so unless he dumped that skanky model, I think it is safe that he's looking for some free publicity."

"Can we please just drop it?" Bella pleaded.

"Esme, I'll take care of Bella and you look after Mama and Papa Swan. Our shopping day will wait until another time, so we're heading back to her place." Alice tried to end the call, knowing that Esme sometimes had the tendency to do more harm than good when she was on a warpath.

"Call me if you need to talk, B," Esme implored.

"I will," Bella whimpered out before she started crying again.

Alice hung up the phone and as soon as Bella had it together, they made their way inside the building. Once upstairs, Bella asked to be alone, so Alice closed the door as Bella headed to the bedroom to thoroughly cry her eyes out.

An hour and a half later, the distinct slamming of the front door was the first sound Bella heard over her hoarse cries. She looked up to see Carlisle in the doorway like a man possessed, instantly beside her as he held her close.

"Bella what is it? Esme called me and-" The rest of that sentence never came out as Bella screeched as best as she could.

"I am going to kill my sister! I didn't want you to see me like this, and she sends you over here like I'm trapped under one of the bookshelves and I need to be rescued." Bella grumbled, but then saw Carlisle's expression and realized she would have to tell him what caused the breakdown.

"Edward's new single was released this afternoon," she started. "It's about me."

Carlisle's features darkened. "What do you mean it's about you?"

"He took things that happened between us, and a nickname I always hated because of how true it was, and wrote a song about how happy he is now that I'm gone." Bella curled back in on herself and Carlisle climbed in beside her and pulled her close.

"He's an idiot, Bella. And you're well rid of him."

"I just don't understand why he had to be so hateful about it. He was not this way when I first started dating him, but the touring and the little bit of fame he had from the internet and everything made a completely different person." Bella sobbed, leaving Carlisle feeling helpless at how to make this better. Physical ills were easy for him, but his wife crying over her ex was not something he was used to.

"How about I order some Tai food in and we can just shut out the world tonight?" He was trying, but Bella was too upset.

"I'm not that hungry; I think I'm just going to nap for a while." Bella yawned, leaving little room for argument as Carlisle left her alone.

As soon as he was sure that she was asleep, Carlisle went to his office and loaded up YouTube, happy that someone had already used the new song to make a fan video. Plugging in some headphones, he listened to the song and was irate at what he said about Bella. Though he couldn't fathom how she was a 'plain Jane' in anyone's eyes, he saw the similarities to their situation and instantly wished he knew where to find the scoundrel so he could lay into him how he nearly did the last time they had been face to face.

Bella never stirred, so after making a sandwich and trying to watch some TV, Carlisle went down the hall to curl up with his wife. Hoping his arms could bring her some comfort.

The next two weeks were busy for Bella, she and Alice were finishing the decorating on the condo and Carlisle spent every minute showering her with love and attention.

A few things had changed since the single dropped; mainly that Bella had a top of the line iPod mount in her car now and rarely turned on her radio when driving. Bella was also in constant contact with Garrett, her literary agent, about the response to her book. He was used to nervous new authors, so handling her wasn't anything new for him, but he promised that once he knew anything, she would be sitting in his office, getting the news in person.

Esme's vacation in Forks, tending to a bit of their parents' business along with some of her own was over and she was at Bella's apartment within hours of her plane landing at JFK. Although she wasn't about to mention his name, she wanted to see how Bella was really doing after the song had been out in the world for a while.

"Thank you for checking up on me, Es, but I'm fine," Bella assured her sister.

"Are you sure, because I could still kick his ass?" Esme joked, earning a glare from Bella.

"I really do love the Mama Bear routine, but I have a husband now to avenge me." Bella sighed, thinking about the words Carlisle muttered when he didn't realize she was within earshot.

"How is my dear friend?" Esme said, hoping to change the subject.

"Wondering when his favorite baker is going to be back in town…you know that he still loves your desserts better than anything I can cook up."

"That's crazy talk, little sis. That man loves your goodies," Esme couldn't hold in the snicker any longer.

"You're seriously perverse; did Mom reveal any stories of dropping you on your head this trip?"

"No, but Charlie wanted to strangle Mom when she asked about what methods of conception you had tried?" Esme offered with a smirk. "After that, the only topic of conversation was their legal paperwork and Caffeinated Confections."

Bella grumbled, "Mom does realize that we've only been trying for about six months, right?"

"Yes, but with our family history, she doesn't want it to take you as long as it did for her. Or worse, end up how I did." Esme was quiet for a moment, never one to talk about her personal tragedy, especially when her sister was stressed out enough.

Just as Bella was about to say something in the way of comfort, her phone rang. She dug through her purse and smiled when she saw the caller ID. "It's Garrett; this has to be news on the manuscript."

Bella answered the call, quickly agreeing to meet him in his office in an hour. Hanging up, she walked out with Esme and shot a quick text to Carlisle, in case he was home before she was.

Walking into the stylish lobby, Bella got in the elevator and pressed the button that would deliver her to her fate. After a few minutes of the elevator seeming to stop on every floor, Bella exited and slipped through the glass door and up to Kate, Garrett's wife at the reception area.

"You can go right back, Bella, he's expecting you." Kate's smile was genuine and bolstered Bella's feeling of hope as she knocked on the office door, Garrett opening it and offering her a seat.

"Thank you for meeting with me so quickly, Bella. I know that you've been anxious for news on your manuscript, so I called you as soon as I received the first letter."

Bella shifted in her seat, needing to know her fate. "Don't keep me in suspense, Garrett, what did they say?"

"The first reply we got was from Random House, which surprised me. They decided to pass on the manuscript. I'm sorry." Bella could see in Garrett's eyes that he genuinely wished he had better news for her, but this was to be expected. "I honestly think that it's a blessing in disguise. We'll have a smaller company that will focus on this book come back to us and we'll be for them what that teen vampire series was for its division of Hachette. We couldn't expect everyone to be interested. Now, is the time when we stay the course."

Bella nodded, and thanked Garrett for his time, barely making it back to her car before she climbed in and let the tears fall. The drive home was short and she parked next to Carlisle, knowing her husband would be home to comfort her as soon as she made it through the door.

That elevator ride was much quicker, and her smile was restored at the site of her latest bouquet.

"Bella, baby, is that you?" Carlisle called out.

"Yeah, Carlisle, it's me," her voice wavered, a silent curse escaping her lips before her husband was in the hall.

"Where'd you go? I wasn't expecting you to be out when I got home."

"Garrett called." She didn't elaborate, but Carlisle wasn't going to leave it at that.

"Bad news?" he asked.

"Random House passed on the manuscript," was all she said before the tears started again.

"Oh Bella. It just means you weren't meant to be handled by some mega-company. I'm sure someone will make an offer soon."

"I just didn't expect it to hurt so badly," Bella wailed. "I put my heart into this book and I really want to see it do well, but how can it do that if it hasn't gotten past the first reader at the company. If the coverage person doesn't think it's worth his boss's time…"

"Stop that!" Carlisle quietly demanded. "Your novel is amazing and when it's on the New York Times Bestsellers List, then the person who passed it over will be kicking himself."

Bella shrugged, but didn't respond. That only motivated Carlisle even more to bring a smile back to his wife's face. Leaning in, he placed a sweet kiss on her lips, before trailing across her cheek, along her jaw and down her neck.

Moving towards her shoulder, Carlisle swept Bella into his arms and carried her through the apartment to their bedroom. Sitting her on the bed, Carlisle pulled his shirt over his head and undid his pants, leaving only his boxers on for the moment. Carlisle moved to the bed and ran his hands along the side of Bella's legs and up her sides before moving to peel off her clothing. When only her underwear remained, he moved to place his hands on her hips, playing with the elastic of her panties as he took them off her. The front-closure bra was unceremoniously thrown across the room and Carlisle covered his wife's body with his own.

"You're perfection, my love. Do you know how much I think about you?" His voice was hushed as he traversed Bella's body with his mouth.

A moan filled the room as Carlisle's mouth covered her nipple. "You're always on my mind, my beauty. I think about you when I'm at work, in the middle of my workout, while I'm running errands…you're always there, proving just how lucky I am to have you."

Carlisle continued his worship, both with his words and his body, until Bella was wound tight. Slipping off his boxers, he entered her, the relief of him finally filling her sending her over the edge. Continuing his steady pace, Carlisle stoked the fire in her belly, never letting her completely come down until he felt his own climax approaching.

His hand trailed between them until he found the sensitive flesh just above the place they were joined, stroking it and bringing her to another climax as his own caused a guttural growl to escape him.

Collapsing beside her, Carlisle watched Bella as she drifted off. Allowing his wife to rest, he reheated leftovers from the day before for them to eat.

*BOTW*

Once the first rejection letter arrived, it seemed to open the floodgates as another four came in ten days. Having just left Garrett's office after the latest letdown, the call from Alice was a welcome distraction.

"Hey Bella," Alice's voice sounded sad, something Bella immediately noticed.

"Alice, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I'm just out a bunch of money and I'm annoyed at myself about it."

"Shopping spree the day before a big sale, or something?" Bella joked, hoping to get her giddy best friend back.

"No, I spent $250 a piece for two floor seats to the concert for tonight, and I don't have anyone to go with. So the tickets are going to go to waste because I don't want to go alone."

"Alice, I'll go with you-" Bella began, but Alice quickly cut her off.

"I couldn't ask you to do that." Alice's voice was firm and it was then that Bella knew why she hadn't asked her to go originally.

"Edward's show is at The Garden tonight, isn't it?"

"Yes," Alice admitted, but quickly added, "But I got the tickets during the presale, thinking I'd surprise you with a visit before we even moved here. I didn't know about him and the fact that he was the jackass you dated before Carlisle. After I knew, there was no way I could ask you to go."

Bella sighed into the phone, "I'll go with you. But I'm going to look like a million bucks doing it, so you better get over here early so we can get ready."

A squeal erupted through the phone as Alice promised to be there soon. After saying good-bye, Bella jumped into the shower while waiting for Alice to arrive. Bella put on a pair of dark skinny jeans and a brown low-cut V-neck top, with a belt that sat right below her chest, putting her boobs on full display.

When Alice got there, the girls got to work painting, polishing, and styling until they were both fully done up. With one last look in the mirror, the girls grabbed their purses and headed out. Bella wasn't entirely sure why, but she wanted to look amazing if she was going to be mere feet from her ex as he sang for thousands of screaming fans.

The girls took the subway to Penn Station, getting off and fighting the crowd, making their way up to Madison Square Garden. Edward's face was everywhere, posters, t-shirts, programs. There were flashing rings and glow sticks, lanyards, dog tags and huge buttons.

Bella steered clear of the counters and instead went for the concession stand that sold the beer, because tonight would require alcohol. Alice came back, a bag of goodies in her hand and a sheepish look in her eyes.

"I'm really sorry, but he's my John Mayer … I can't stand the man, but I can't hate his music. With one exception," she added quickly.

"Alice, I'm not going to punish you for liking his music. But just know, you may be carrying me home tonight." Bella raised one of the two beers she'd just bought, taking a huge swig before passing Alice her water.

They made their way to the seats, settling in just as the opening act started. It was some totally weird chick, that made both Alice and Bella feel old and out of the loop, but it was entertaining. Something Bella knew the two hours to follow wouldn't be.

After the opening act cleared the stage, Bella moved onto her second beer, wishing she could have gotten something stronger without paying $20 for it. The wait for Edward to take the stage wasn't long, only about twenty minutes, but the moment the lights dimmed, the place erupted.

Using all of his charm and sex appeal, Edward flirted with all 18,000 people in the crowd like he was sitting with them one on one in a club. It was one of his many talents, even if he was predictable to a fault.

With his predictability, it gave Bella enough time to get out of the arena and onto the concourse before "Plain Jane" started, knowing she wouldn't be able to handle seeing him perform it live. The rest of the concert was a wash of screams and bass, but luckily, Bella had remembered her earplugs. Ironically, that was something Edward always insisted on so she wouldn't go deaf with all of the shows she went to.

Alice and Bella walked up to the subway, but at the last minute, Bella decided not to go straight home.

"Are you sure?" Alice asked, concerned.

"Positive, I'm going to head up to see Angela at her boyfriend's bar. She's been begging me to come down and catch up," Bella half-lied.

"Okay, have fun." Alice said good-bye and headed for the subway that would bring her downtown, while Bella went uptown.

She was drinking with Angela for an hour before her fingers began to itch. Edward was a creature of habit; he had proved that tonight with his set list. After Angela went to the bathroom, Bella pulled her phone out and dialed 411, getting the numbers for a few of the higher end hotels in the city. She knew the districts that Edward would avoid from their time living in the city, so with her list narrowed down she began calling.

It took three no's before she struck pay dirt. "Thank you for calling W New York, how may I help you?"

Bella swallowed at the cheery front desk employee's voice. "Yes, I need to speak to one of your guests, Mr. Martin Riggs. I know he has a do not disturb on his phone, but it is an emergency."

The tension in her voice obviously convinced the woman of something, because she asked for Bella's name, she almost gave her real name, before offering "Janie," hoping to hint to who was keen enough to know that Edward's album was named after his favorite movie franchise and not his badass persona.

There were a few minutes of soft classical music before the line began to ring, Bella's heart in her throat. She was really doing this.

"Hello?" His voice was the same, the cigarettes still wearing on what used to be a velvet voice.

"Martin, you should never push the person who knows your secrets. It was entirely too easy to find you."

"I was wondering when I would hear from you, although I expected it to be a lawyer making contact." Edward kept his voice even, probably trying to keep the others around him from picking up on the conversation.

"Meet me at The Hole in the Wall; I'm not going to wait longer than forty-five minutes, so you better ditch the entourage quick. If I see anyone else, I'll leave before you'll even know that I was there in the first place." Her heart was pounding, astonished that she was pulling this off.

"I'll see you there," he said before the line went dead.

Bella paid the tab, catching a cab as soon as she got out to the street. The ride was anxiety-ridden, but twenty minutes later, she was showing her ID to the bouncer and scanning the dive bar that she and Edward had practically lived in back in the good ole days. A quick trip to the bathroom to touch up her makeup and she was settled into the booth in the back, another beer in her hand as she eyed the door.

Forty minutes after she'd last talked to him, Edward walked in, a baseball cap hiding his hair and face from the other patrons.

"Reminiscing?" he asked, settling in and looking at the rum and coke that she had waiting for him.

"No, I just assumed that no one would know to look for you here, so you'd be more likely to show."

"You act like I'm that predictable," Edward scoffed.

"Well, _Martin_, your current single was between your second single off the first album and the sleeper track off of your new album, so I'd say that's a big fucking yes." Bella sneered, taking another sip of her beer.

"You were at the concert? And here I thought you were here to ream me out for the song."

"I hate you for that song, and the concert was a favor for a friend, I just wanted you to tell me to my face why you did it?" Bella took a deep breath, watching as Edward shifted in his seat, leaning most of the way over the table.

"You dumped me for your perfect doctor, the good guy. You had it in your mind that I was a no good, bad boy, why are you surprised that I'm exactly what you thought I was? Are you embarrassed that he knows just what I think of you, or are you and him ancient history?"

"We're married and trying for a baby. Carlisle has nothing to do with this." Bella seethed.

"He has _everything _to do with this. It's after midnight and instead of warming his bed and making another go at a baby, you're here, talking about shit that is already history. Unless grandpa can't knock you up? Is that why you're here? You need a deposit in the sperm bank from big Eddie? Because for old times' sake, I might just do it."

"You're unbelievable," she hissed starting to stand before he grabbed her hand.

"Seriously. The fairytale isn't what you thought it would be, is it? Your name isn't on a bestseller's list, your uterus is empty, and you're regretting treating me the way you did, but unfortunately, it's too late. I'm happier without you."

"You're the most despicable person I've ever had the displeasure of knowing. I hope you enjoy the warm weather, because you're going to rot in Hell for all of the things you've done."

Bella stood up, pushing through the crowd and onto the street, not knowing where to go. All she knew was after what had just happened, she couldn't go home to Carlisle and act like everything was okay.

Wandering outside the bar, Bella went back to the only place she could think of. Getting on the subway, she thoroughly scared the shit out Esme as she walked inside.

"Why in the hell are you here at three am? Is Carlisle all right?"

Bella sobbed, ending the inquisition as she pulled her sister into her embrace. "I couldn't … go home … not after Edwar-"

"What does that scum have to do with anything?" Esme screeched a little too loud for Bella's beer-soaked brain.

"I may have seen him after going to see his show." Bella heard the growl from Esme but she continued. "I had to know why he did it, but it was a giant mistake and I couldn't go back home. I feel like a fool."

"Well you are," Esme told her, "but you're Carlisle's fool and he loves you. So crash here tonight and we'll get you home tomorrow so you can have a heart to heart with your hubby."

"Thanks, Es," Bella said, wiping at her ruined eye makeup.

"No problem, Bell."

*BOTW*

Noon came far too soon for Bella, who was feeling the worst hangover she had in years. Of course, the crying hadn't helped, but there was nothing to do about it now. After washing her face and straightening the clothes she'd rather burn than wear home, Bella got in a cab and made her way back to her apartment.

The apartment should have been empty in the middle of the day, so the sight of a disheveled Carlisle rounding the corner as soon as she came in the door caught her off guard.

"Oh thank God you're alright! You have no idea how worried I've been. Where did you go last night? I know you were with Alice for a while, but when I called her she mentioned Angela. Why didn't you come home?"

Bella took a deep breath and walked with Carlisle into the living room. "Did Alice tell you where we went last night?"

Carlisle nodded, "I don't know why you went, but I'm not upset."

"Well I was with Angela and when she stepped out for a bit I did something that was really stupid." Bella looked down, steeling herself for the rest of the story. "I found out where Edward was staying and I told him I wanted to talk. We met at some bar where we used to hang out and it turned into a huge fight. I was stupid and drunk and when I got out of there I was too ashamed to come home. I stayed at Esme's and just woke up. I'm so sorry that you were worried."

"You went to talk to him? After everything he said last time, and all that he's done? How could … why would you … I can't even form the words right now." Carlisle stood up and rounded the couch. "I have to head into the hospital, I'll see you later."

Bella watched in horror as Carlisle almost ran from their home, leaving her alone in the living room. Not knowing what else to do, she called Esme, who made a failed attempt at consoling her. Hoping that a nap to cure both the hangover and the heartache, Bella went to lay down after having some toast for dinner.

When she woke the next morning to see that Carlisle hadn't come home, she tried calling him, but it went straight to voicemail. Alice was able to relay that Jasper saw him when he left the hospital, offering to cover for one of the other ER doctors who had called in sick.

The avoidance was killing her, but she knew better than to push him. Bella used the time she had to herself to clean, yet when the apartment was spotless and he still wasn't home, Bella called Alice and the two of them met at the local Whole Foods.

"So he hasn't called you back at all?" Alice asked as we started to pick out some produce.

"No. Making that call could have ended my marriage," Bella told her friend solemnly.

"Don't say that. He's upset, but Carlisle loves you. I think the fact that he waited up all night for you to find out you spent part of it with Edward is what is keeping him from letting it go so fast. But he will soon, I promise."

"I hope you're right," Bella said, looking up when she felt a pair of eyes on her. The girl quickly walked away, but it had Bella confused. "Did you see that?"

"Yeah, weird."

The girls finished shopping and as they approached the checkout they noticed a lot more looks from strangers, then Bella saw the cover of one of the magazines that was on display. "Oh my God. I'm going to kill him."

"What?" Alice asked, clueless.

Bella pulled down the magazines and threw them on the conveyer belt, loading her food next, but never once looking up at the people staring holes into her skull. It wasn't easy, but they loaded her personal cart up and they headed back to Bella's wordlessly, hoping the magazines would hold some answers beyond the possible life-altering reality of the world knowing who you are, and exactly what your ex thought of you set to music.

Alice put away the food while Bella poured over the magazines, mortified at all the things they eluded to, how they painted her and worse, how it would reflect on her and Carlisle. The tears started as magazine after magazine talked about the possibility of Edward dumping his supermodel girlfriend for Bella, or her doctor husband leaving her because of infidelity.

Bella tried to call Carlisle again, but he wasn't answering. Had he seen it? Did he believe their lies? She suddenly felt sick.

Alice found Bella's sleeping form on the living room floor surrounded by the magazines and did the only thing she could think of. She called Esme.

It was a short trip downtown, but after surveying the scene, Esme decided to nip this in the butt. Heading to the hospital, she quickly found a nurse that said Carlisle was taking his lunch in the cafeteria, so that's where she went.

"Esme, don't start with me, not today." Carlisle's face was a cold mask.

"Carlisle, I love you, but she's my sister. If you make me choose, it will be her. She's hurting right now—"

"_She's_ hurting, that trash is everywhere, and my co-workers know that she went skulking around to see him while I was home scared to death. I appreciate your loyalty, but I'm not susceptible to your guilt." Carlisle crossed his arms as he stared down his friend.

"You know the saddest part of this whole thing? When that song first came out, I wanted to kill that punk, but she told me that I didn't have to fight her battles anymore. She told me that she had you to avenge her honor. Her pride in how much you love her is boundless, and yet you've been avoiding her, making any possible rumors worse, while she cries herself to sleep every night." Esme eyed her friend before pushing back from the table. "That's what she's doing right now; she's sleeping on your living room floor, having cried herself into unconsciousness. Bella is terrified that you're going to leave her over this, and if she's right, then she's better off without you."

"I'm not going to divorce her, but I'm also not ready to forgive her," Carlisle said in a hushed voice. "I'll go home after my shift so it appears that we're not taking the reports seriously. Tell her I'll see her around seven."

Esme nodded in response and then left, hoping the news would cheer Bella up. She was surprised to walk into the apartment and find Bella in the kitchen surrounded by oversized muffins and batter.

"Bella, are you planning on feeding an army?" Esme joked, only to see the broken look in Bella's eyes as her arms swept the counter, pushing all of the muffins in her reach into the trashcan.

"No, I'm attempting to bake something that doesn't taste like shit."

Sighing, Esme rounded the counter and immediately saw the reason for the problems. "Sweetie, you're using baking soda, the recipe calls for baking powder. Between that mix up and adding in salt the recipe calls for, it's going to come out tasting off."

"I'm a disaster, no wonder Carlisle won't come anywhere near me."

"Bella, we'll clean all this up, I'll run and get more of the ingredients and then you can try again in the morning. How does that sound?"

Bella pouted, but agreed with her sister. "Fine, I'm going to start the laundry, can you manage in here."

"I've got everything under control, don't worry," Esme winked, getting started on the task at hand.

Bella started the first load of Carlisle's clothes when her phone rang. Needing to see who was calling, she was happy to find that it was Garrett. After telling him the whole story, Garrett told Bella that he would handle it, and look into anything they could do to squash the story. There still hadn't been any more rejections, so he could focus on keeping the story from giving publishers an easy out. Taking his advice, and setting the answering machine to pick up immediately, she said her good-bye and went back to the laundry.

At seven-thirty, Bella was hanging up the last of her husband's pants when the front door opened, the man himself coming home. He walked around the apartment before seeing the light under the bedroom door, revealing his wife hard at work in his closet.

"Bella," he spoke, spooking her as she whirled around, his trousers falling to the floor.

"Oh, Carlisle, thank God," she sobbed as he approached, collecting her into his arms.

"Shh, I'm here, Bella." Carlisle pulled her closer, missing the feel of his wife against himself.

"Carlisle, everything they said was lies. That night was the only time I'd spoken to him and nothing happened, at least the photos show that much. I don't know how they were able to dig all of this up, but Garrett's looking into how to play down the story so we can put this ugliness behind us."

"Bella," Carlisle whispered, bringing her to the bed with him.

The couple fell together, lying side by side as they explored each other's mouths. The need was there, but there wasn't a rush. Both were content to reacquaint themselves with their spouse. The pants and moans became more pronounced as a beep sounded, bursting their bubble.

"Bella, Carlisle, it's Edward. I'm sorry to bother you, and I'm really sorry that all this has happened. If I had never written the song then this wouldn't be newsworthy, and that is my fault. I've talked to my lawyers and for me to go after them wouldn't do much good beyond dragging this through the news for even longer, but if you decide that you'd like to file a cease and desist or any type of suit against the magazines or anything, let me know. If I can be of use, I would like to at least do that. I'm sorry, again, that you got pulled into this circus."

Carlisle froze through the entire message, pulling away when it was over and sitting up on the edge of the bed. "I'm gonna call in something for dinner, you in the mood for anything?"

Bella's eyes found the comforter as she traced a random pattern, "I'll eat whatever you're getting."

"Okay," he said as he stood up and walked into the kitchen.

Bella silently went back to doing laundry, the only interruption being a painfully quiet dinner. Carlisle wasn't speaking again and Bella was scared that anything she said could make it worse. She'd made enough stupid choices in the last month to last her a lifetime, so she decided to quit while she still had a husband.

The night of Edward's call began a pattern for the couple that lasted much of the month of November, Carlisle would work, come home with some form of take-out and then when it was time to go to bed, they slept together, but the space between them felt as large as the Grand Canyon. Carlisle wouldn't even hold her like he used to, instead turning his back to her. There had been callers and nagging photographers in the first few days, but the interest seemed to fade pretty quickly as there wasn't much to see.

As Thanksgiving approached, Bella wondered if the meal she normally cooked was even worth the trouble, but a quick call from Alice ended the debate.

"Jasper and I will come over, and I'm sure Esme will too. In fact, I'll tell Jasper that you guys invited us, he'll thank Carlisle when he sees him and that will be something that will insure that he is there for it."

"Alice, I'm not trapping him into dinner," Bella told her. "You're both welcome to come and whether or not he begs off work it is his decision."

"Bella-" Alice began, but it was a moot point in Bella's eyes.

"No, I'll mention it tonight when he comes home. Talk to you soon."

Bella made a quick call to Carlisle, letting him know that she was cooking dinner and then got to work. Now that Bella had a purpose, she set about making dinner, hoping that they could really talk. It took her a few hours, but the meal was nearly ready when she heard the front door opening, her smile turning into a frown the moment she saw the bag from an Italian place a few blocks away.

"You didn't get my message?" Bella asked, trying to keep the accusation out of her tone.

"No, my phone's been off most of the afternoon. Do you want to stick this in the fridge and we can have it tomorrow?" Carlisle offered, wishing he'd checked his phone.

"If you'd rather eat what you picked up, this can be packed up-" Bella's offer was ended with Carlisle's move to put the bag in the refrigerator.

"Do I have time to take a quick shower before dinner?" Carlisle asked.

"Sure, everything will be ready when you come back," Bella smiled and started plating everything and moving it to the dining room.

When Carlisle returned, Bella looked a little pale to him, but when he sat down to eat with her and saw how little she was eating, he became worried. "Are you feeling sick, baby?"

Bella's head snapped up, the tears starting to form at his question. "My stomach's been bothering me, it's nothing serious."

"Then why are you crying?" he asked as he brushed away the first tear to fall.

"Because you haven't used a single term of endearment for me in weeks."

Carlisle's eyes grew wide, thinking over the last few weeks and realizing that she was more than likely correct. He'd never meant for the distance he used to sort through his own issues with recent events to cause Bella any pain, but now he knew that was naïve on his part. A fact he needed to rectify.

"Bella, come with me." Carlisle offered Bella his hand and the two of them went into the gallery, where among the art, one of their wedding pictures was displayed. "You made me the happiest man in the world the day that picture was taken and even if I've been a bit thick-skulled lately, I love you just as much, if not more than I did that day."

Bella sobbed, which only made Carlisle more determined to make sure she knew just how important she was. "When that song came out, I was angry for you. I thought we were done with Edward Masen and then he found a way back into our lives. The night of his concert, I was so scared to come home at midnight and not know where you were, so finding out you were with Edward hurt. That man still has power over you and I'm terrified that one day, no matter how cruel he's been, you'll pick him over me."

"Carlisle, I could never even think of being in any type of relationship with him. I love you," Bella told him emphatically.

"In my head, I know that. But my heart was just filled with this nagging doubt … then the magazines came out and they were talking about how he'd proposed before and you were being called a gold digger and they were insinuating that you were sneaking around together. They knew everything and all of a sudden all my coworkers knew about that part of our lives and I was trying to work through the anger and the hurt." Carlisle scrubbed his hands across his face for a moment. "That was why I was so distant. It wasn't because I gave any serious consideration to those things, I just didn't want to get pissed and say something that would hurt you. I guess I did that anyway."

"Sweetheart," Bella said as she took Carlisle's face in her hands, "I was hurt so badly by everything that happened, and it came at a really shitty time in general. My book hasn't gotten any interest, I'm not working, so I don't have anything but housework to fill my day when I'm not writing; but having you shut down like that … I can't even -"

Bella stopped to take a deep breath before looking back into his eyes, "I can't survive losing you, so to have you not home at all and when you were you wouldn't even talk to me was so much worse. Yell, scream, throw things, but just be here, fighting with me for us."

"I will," Carlisle vowed. "I promise you that I will never let it get like that again. I love you, Bella."

"Can we go to bed? I miss having your arms around me," Bella asked her eyes hopeful.

"How can I refuse a question like that?" Carlisle swept Bella up and carried her back to their room, where the night was spent reconnecting in every way.

The next morning, Carlisle left his sleeping bride to head in for his twelve-hour shift, determined to get home at his normal time. He had a lot to make up for.

Bella rolled over a few hours later, the absence of strong arms was noticeable immediately. Taking a quick shower, Bella sat down to plan out her Thanksgiving dinner, realizing that she hadn't told Carlisle about their guests. Suddenly nervous about breaking the peace they had realized the night before, Bella bit the bullet and called him.

"Hey, Baby, what's up?" Carlisle sounded upbeat, so she decided to get to the purpose of the call.

"I forgot to mention last night that Jasper and Alice will be coming over for Thanksgiving."

"Okay, I'm working the morning, so I can be there for dinner, let me just check to see what time my replacement will be in. It shouldn't be later than four or five, so give me an hour or so between then and dinner to get home and clean up. Sound good?" Carlisle asked.

"Yeah," Bella exhaled. "Sounds great. I'll see you tonight."

After hanging up, Bella went towards the kitchen, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. Surprised to see her sister there, she let Esme in, following her to the kitchen.

"I got in a shipment of Kona coffee, so I had to bring you over a bag. Where should I put it?" Esme asked.

"Stick it in the freezer for now, we still have a little of the last bag left."

"Perfect, mind if I make a cup? I'm closing the bakery tonight, so I haven't had my second cup yet." Esme was already moving around the kitchen.

"Of course you can. Oh and I need to know what kinds of desserts you're bringing for Thanksgiving." Bella asked, returning to her list.

"Well, who's coming? I have to make sure everyone has their favorites represented." Esme teased her sister, but Bella didn't respond, the strong scent of the coffee grounds going straight to her uneasy stomach. "Bella?"

"I'm going to be sick," Bella moaned as she dashed to the bathroom, emptying her stomach of its contents.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Esme called through the door.

"Yeah, the coffee completely flipped my stomach, it was the weirdest thing," Bella replied.

Esme came in, going straight for the drawers on the right side of the vanity. Finding what she was searching for, she turned to Bella, thrusting the box in her face. "I think this might explain a few things."

"No," Bella said, shaking her head adamantly. "Esme, I can't."

"Why not?" Esme pushed. "Would you rather wait for Carlisle to get home?"

"No, I can't take the test and face another disappointment. I'm not sure how much heartache I can take."

"Okay, let's think about this logically. You are suddenly sick at the smell of coffee, you're overly emotional and your last period was when?"

Bella thought about it for a minute, realizing it had been almost two months. Taking the test from her sister, she followed the instructions and then waited anxiously for the results.

"What does it say?" Bella asked. "I can't look."

Esme picked up the stick and squealed, "It says that I'm going to be an aunt."

"Really?" Bella asked, taking the stick from Esme. "Oh my God. I can't believe it."

"Carlisle is going to be beside himself when he hears this. How are you going to tell him? Oh, you could do it on Thanksgiving. After we leave you could tell him that what you're most thankful for is the little miracle on the way. It's only three days from now, he can stand to wait that long."

"No, I think I'm going to tell him now. I don't think I could wait that long." Bella reached for her phone, just as it began to ring.

"Carlisle," she answered.

"Bella, I was just calling because there was a bus accident. We're getting in fifteen victims at least, on top of an already full ER, so I'm probably going to be late. I'm sorry, love, but I may not be home for dinner."

She heard the chaos of the hospital behind him, sighing at the news. "Of course, Carlisle, I understand. The ER has to come first."

"Bella," she heard the change in his voice and the noise got quieter, "You're my priority, but this can't be helped. I did talk to Alec, and he's coming in at three, so by the time I run through the patients and leave it will be almost four. So Thanksgiving dinner at five-thirty would be perfect. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure, I'll see you tonight."

Bella hung up the phone, not really sure what to do. Keeping the news from Carlisle seemed petty, but then she reasoned that waiting until she knew for sure was a good idea. No need to get his hopes up for something that isn't confirmed yet.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Esme asked as Bella scrolled through her contacts, finding her doctor's number.

"Nothing, I'm just making an appointment so I can give Carlisle the news on Thursday. You're right, that's a cute way to tell him." Bella smiled before making her appointment.

*BOTW*

Tuesday Bella did all her shopping for Thanksgiving dinner, so that she would be able to do her prep work after her appointment Wednesday morning. The nurse drew blood and took all the normal measurements before she was left to wait on her results.

Finally, Bella was escorted back to the doctor's office and took her seat in front of the desk.

"Good morning, Bella. How are you feeling today?" Dr. Lee greeted her.

"Okay, a little nervous," Bella admitted.

"Well, let me give you the good news, then. You are pregnant."

"I am," she whispered.

"Yes, now I'd like to do a quick exam and ultrasound now that the blood test has confirmed it, so the nurse will take you to an exam room and I will be in as soon as the ultrasound tech is finished."

"Thank you so much, Dr. Lee."

Bella was so happy; it was finally real for her. But as the excitement waned, her mind went to her family history and how difficult this pregnancy could be for her.

She remembered her Freshman year of college for many things, but nothing was more memorable than the few weeks she spent living with Esme after her ectopic pregnancy. It wasn't Esme's first miscarriage, or her last, but the fact that she had emergency surgery to prevent her fallopian tube from rupturing had been traumatic for them both.

Dr. Lee was well aware of this history, so when they did the exam and she saw the tiny blip on the ultrasound, right where it should be, Bella breathed a sigh of relief. With the image of their child securely in hand, Bella left the office to get everything ready for what would be a very long Thanksgiving.

*BOTW*

Nausea woke Bella just before six am, giving her yet another clue to her condition. Carlisle was already at the hospital, working through the Thanksgiving prep to field all of the burns and wounds that came along with cooking one meal a year, while his colleagues would get the results of too much family togetherness and alcohol.

With her sleep disturbed, Bella got into the kitchen and looked over her lists. The turkey would take four and a half hours, and Carlisle wanted to eat at five-thirty, so the turkey didn't have to go in until after twelve, but she had so much prep still to do.

The morning passed with plenty of peeling, cutting, cooking, and mashing, leaving a few dishes ready to be warmed in the last minutes of cooking. As noon approached, Bella preheated the oven and finished her work on the stuffing so the turkey would go in on time.

The next two and a half hours were a dance, Bella would work on the side dishes, stopping to baste the turkey and then return her attention to the other food. This was where she thrived, in timing food down to the minute and having the entire meal come together at the same time.

The timer went off just before three, signaling another trip to the oven, but this time, as Bella turned the turkey, her hand jerked up and came in contact with the top of the oven.

Bella screamed as she fell to the floor beside the open oven, clutching her hand to her chest. She registered the sound of her name and the two pairs of feet pounding the floor as Alice suddenly came into view above her.

"Bella, are you all right?" Alice asked, unprepared for the tidal wave of emotions that question would unleash.

"No! I burnt my hand and now I've ruined dinner, I feel like I'm carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders, and Carlisle's never here when I wake up, and I just don't know what I'm doing anymore." Bella's rambling caught the couple off-guard, but Jasper was quick to respond.

Turning off the oven and burners, he gestured towards the door with a jerk of his head. "Alice, I think we should take her to get that burn looked at."

"Come on, sweetie," Alice cooed. "We're taking you to the hospital."

"Okay," Bella sobbed as they made their way out of the apartment and to the elevator.

The drive was short and as Bella walked into the ER to check in, the nurse recognized her immediately. "Bella, sweetheart, is Carlisle expecting you?"

"No, Shelley, I burnt my hand cooking dinner," Bella replied sheepishly.

"Oh dear, let's get you checked in, so that handsome hubby of yours can fix you up." Nurse Cope said as she started filling out the form.

A few minutes later, Bella was sitting on a gurney waiting for one of the doctors to see her.

"Hello, Mrs. Cullen … oh, we have a doctor here with the same last name-" the young doctor, likely an intern began to speak, before the curtain was pulled back, revealing the man in question.

"I've got it from here, Stanley," Carlisle excused her, holding his hand out for the chart.

"Are you sure, Dr. Cullen? I could -" Dr. Stanley stopped short and handed over the chart the moment she saw the look on Carlisle's face.

"Bella, what on earth happened to you?"

"I was turning the turkey and my hand slipped," Bella admitted.

"I'm sorry it took so long, Dr. C," another nurse said as she set up the table so he could examine the burn. "Are there any drug allergies or conditions – pregnancy, etcetera, or can I set up the rest of the medications according to procedure?"

"No you can -" Carlisle began before Bella interrupted.

"Actually, I'm pregnant," Bella spoke.

"You're … did I just … really?" Carlisle sputtered before he moved to stand directly in front of Bella, his hand on her stomach.

"I found out a few days ago, I was going to tell you tonight, but it seems plans change." Bella blushed, embarrassed that her news was revealed the way it was.

"Oh Bella, you have no idea how thrilled I am," Carlisle gushed. "We'll get your hand taken care of and then I'm taking you home. This is something to be celebrated."

Before she could react, his lips were on hers, soft yet persistent. His hands trailed over her back and she moved to thread her fingers through his hair, but her hand protested.

"Ow, shit," Bella hissed.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Let me clean that up and get that bandaged before we get carried away." There was a glint in Carlisle's eyes; one Bella had missed seeing there lately.

Carlisle personally tended to his wife's injury and then found one of the residents, telling them that he was leaving.

"Try not to burn down the hospital, Alec will be here in forty minutes," he joked as he guided Bella to the waiting room.

"Bella, how are you feeling?" Alice hopped up, anxious for her friend.

"I'm fine; luckily my husband has had plenty of experience treating my many ailments." Bella joked as Carlisle's lips pressed to her temple. "I'm sorry that dinner was ruined."

"Don't worry about it, we'll get together for dinner soon," Jasper soothed. "Oh, and Esme knows. She called wondering where everyone was."

"Great, she'll lecture me about not being spastic while I'm pregnant."

"She knows?" Carlisle asked.

"Yeah, I got sick with her there so she told me to take the test. I made her swear to keep her mouth shut until I told you," Bella looked at Carlisle, who still had that dreamlike look in his eyes.

The four of them said their good-byes and Carlisle walked Bella to his car. They got in and drove the short distance to their apartment. Once inside, Carlisle turned to Bella, kissing her forehead. "I'm going to put the rest of the food away for another day. You can lie down and I'll be in there in a minute."

"Carlisle, I can help -" Bella started, but her husband was quick to shush her.

"I know, but I want to do this. We can reheat something later for dinner, but I want to spend some quality time with you first."

"Okay," Bella agreed.

She got into bed as Carlisle banged around in the kitchen for a few moments before returning to his wife. Stripping down to his underwear, Carlisle climbed in beside her and held her close. "Other than the morning Esme got you to take the test, have you had any morning sickness?"

"Yeah, it's been every morning this week."

"Any soreness or fatigue?" Carlisle questioned.

"Not really, I don't do much these days to over-exert myself."

"You do more than you give yourself credit for, plus you've been under a lot of stress the last few months." Carlisle's lips danced across her shoulder, causing a shiver to run through her. "What a blessing that in the midst of all that drama, we were able to create this miracle."

"I have the ultrasound, if you want to see it," Bella offered, reaching into the nightstand and pulling the tiny printout from her book.

"Look at him," Carlisle whispered in awe as his finger traced the tiny change in coloring that was their child.

"Him?" Bella asked.

"Or her. The only thing that matters is that mother and child are healthy." Placing the photo on the nightstand, he continued to make his intentions known to his love.

Bella yawned, killing Carlisle's advances for the moment, but he was content to simply have her in his arms and revel in their news.

*BOTW*

For the first few weeks after Bella shared the happy news with her husband, Carlisle was more than attentive. He brought home food on days she wasn't feeling up to cooking, he took some of the artwork that was in the gallery and hung them around the house, converting the space into the new library. What had been the library would become the nursery, which was perfect as it was the closest room to the Master Bedroom.

Bella watched idly, answering when asked a direct question, but took no part in actively planning. At first, Carlisle thought she was still in shock, or adjusting to the idea of having a baby, but as she withdrew more and more with each day, he truly started to worry.

Christmas was fast approaching, so he thought that the best way to help her out was a little retail therapy. Esme and Alice picked Bella up, and soon after, Jasper and Carlisle were walking through aisle after aisle of the BuyBuy Baby on 7th Avenue, hoping to finish some of his Christmas shopping before the girls might show up here.

"When you say withdrawn, do you mean quieter than usual, or truly closed off?" Jasper asked as they looked at all the little appliances that were available to help with a baby.

"I mean she won't discuss telling people beside you three, we can't talk about baby names, and she told her parents that my work schedule made the trip to Washington impossible this year. She even made Esme swear to keep the fact that I already took the week off a secret." Carlisle huffed as he sat down the floor model for the bottle warmer.

"Maybe she just wants to wait until she's further along before she tells people. You have said that Renee can be oddly perceptive of things like this." Jasper laughed at the scowl that Carlisle shot him after his comment and revised his comment. "Or, maybe she's just scared. It's been a tough year and you've both wanted this for a long time, so the reality that it's happening could be overwhelming. I'm sure it doesn't help that every time you turn around her ex is on the cover of some damn magazine."

Carlisle bristled, "What does _he_ have to do with anything?"

"He just married his supermodel girlfriend. She's about to gain a bunch of pregnancy weight while photos of her replacement in a bikini that wouldn't fit a two-year old are online and in every magazine at the grocery store," Jasper said as he moved on to the bathing section. "Who seriously uses all of this shit? Our parents didn't have a third of this when they raised us."

"You think this is something to do with Edward?" Carlisle whispered, ignoring Jasper's attempt at levity.

Jasper shrugged. "Alice was. That was her rant when she got her copy of Entertainment Weekly yesterday."

Carlisle sighed to himself, wondering if they'd ever be rid of that man. However, there was one thing he was sure of, he wouldn't ruin this time for them. Carlisle would find a way to reach out to his wife.

They continued to the furniture department and Carlisle looked at the selection and found the model that Bella had mentioned was a favorite of hers months ago when they first started talking about having a baby.

"Do you think it's the best idea to get the baby furniture without talking to her?" Jasper asked, worried about Bella's reaction.

"It isn't as though it's the only thing I'm getting her. Besides, I think once she's a little further along, she'll be far more excited. Hopefully this will be a step in that direction."

Carlisle ordered the furniture and snapped a few photos of the display model for the card, as the furniture wouldn't be available for a few weeks.

When Carlisle got home, he booted up his office computer and searched for news on Edward's marriage. He was still in his office when the front door slammed shut.

"Bella?" Carlisle called out.

"Hi," she said as she poked her head into the office.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

"Sure," she responded, feeling the tension between them as she sat down on the loveseat in the room.

"I've noticed that you've been a little distant recently, and I wanted to talk to you about it," Carlisle started.

"I'm sorry if I've seemed that way, I've just been so anxious and I feel like I have no control over anything anymore," Bella spoke to him through her hands.

"I'm sure hearing Edward's news -"

"_Edward's news?_ What does he have to do with us? I don't even know what news there is about him." Bella stared at her husband in disbelief.

"His marriage to Makenna," Carlisle stated plainly. Bella stood to see the gossip site still open on his computer.

"So the only time I get upset now is over him, is that what you're getting at?" Bella growled. "My life hasn't turned to shit enough, so I have to be sick over the fact that he married that tramp? I don't give a crap about him anymore! The last time I did it almost cost me our marriage. I'm done worrying about anyone outside of this apartment and I really wish you would stop throwing him in my face every time I'm upset."

"That wasn't what I was doing," Carlisle said as he rounded his desk, settling on the couch and holding out his hand for Bella to join him. "I couldn't understand the way you were pulling away from me, so I looked outside of us, hoping that the fault isn't with me. But if you think our life has turned to shit …"

"Not our life together, my life," Bella tried to reassure.

"Your life is my life, Bella. How could I not know that you were in this much pain?" The first tears slipped passed Carlisle's closed eyes and Bella reached up to wipe them away.

"I've kept it hidden; I didn't want to disappoint you. My book isn't getting any positive response; I don't feel like I'm contributing to anything, and you've been at the hospital so much with everything that's happened … I don't know how to get back to where we were." Bella slumped against the couch and Carlisle moved swiftly, lifting her into his lap.

"First, tell me about this anxiety. Is it what you were just telling me? Or is it something else?"

"I'm afraid of losing the baby," Bella whispered.

Carlisle looked into the tear-soaked eyes of his wife. "Why would you think that was a possibility?"

"My family history," she told him.

"That doesn't mean that it will happen to you. You are your mother's daughter, just like Esme, but you are also Charlie's and he comes from a big family. Plus, you have me and if anything feels the least bit off, tell me and we will have it checked out immediately." Carlisle thought for a moment and then spoke his realization. "This is why you told Renee I hadn't been able to get off work to come for Christmas?"

"My parents may still need Es and I to make sure certain things get done throughout the year, but the one thing that my mother never misses a beat on is when something is going on with us. She would have known and then if something happened later and I had to look her in the eyes … that would have been too much."

"We will get through this, Bella. I promise you that we'll continue to find our way back to the way we were in the spring. Look at us right now; we're openly discussing things that we had been bottling up a few months ago. I'd say that's progress." His arms hugged her a little tighter as they moved to the bedroom to rest together.

*BOTW*

The last week before Christmas was the best Carlisle could remember since before the Fall and all their troubles began. He came home to Bella and they would eat before cuddling together to watch TV or read a book. Every night he held her body against his, reveling in how perfectly she fit there.

While Carlisle was blissful over the connection he felt growing stronger between himself and his wife, Bella was left with a sense of dread. It seemed too much to hope that she would have an easy pregnancy with her luck. Carlisle's hand rested possessively over her flat belly and she was plagued with worry over how he would feel if she wasn't strong enough to give him the child they both wanted so desperately.

Carlisle has the old library painted a pale yellow, but no other preparations for the baby had been made as of yet, to Bella's relief.

It was Bella's whispered prayer early on Christmas morning just as Carlisle returned from the bathroom that confirmed that his present would be well received. He hadn't heard much, but the girl's name his wife whispered as she caressed her stomach was enough for him. He climbed back into bed, excited for their quiet Christmas together.

A few hours later, Bella rolled out of bed, managing to do so without waking Carlisle. She showered and changed into something comfortable before padding down to the kitchen to make breakfast.

The smell of bacon and coffee woke Carlisle, causing him to head straight for the kitchen and his wife. She was blotting the bacon of excess fat when he walked over to the coffeemaker to pour a cup. "Merry Christmas, my love."

"Merry Christmas, Carlisle."

Carlisle noticed the water boiling, so he took it off the burner and poured it into the mug Bella had prepared for her tea. Walking into the dining area, she followed him a few minutes later with their breakfast.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Carlisle asked Bella the question every morning, and the smile on her face warmed his heart.

"Fine," she answered as she started to eat her own breakfast.

The meal passed quietly and when it was done, Carlisle went into the kitchen to clean up. When he finished, the couple went into the living room together, Bella settling onto the couch as Carlisle moved to the tree, digging out both of their presents and moving them to where they were sitting.

Carlisle watched as Bella opened her gifts, seeing her face light up over the bottle of perfume and the new books she'd been eyeing. She had noticed the envelopes still tucked amongst the ornaments on the tree, but she decided that he was doing this his own way and she would let him.

Next, it was Bella's turn to watch Carlisle open his gifts. She hoped that he enjoyed the computer games she got him, along with the jeans and thin sweaters she bought because she loved how they showed off his muscles. As he stacked up his presents in a neat pile, Bella moved to the back of the tree to dig out his last present.

"What do you have there, sweetheart?"

Bella blushed, "It's your birthday present; I hope you like it."

Carlisle tore at the paper and then gasped when he saw the painting. "Did Alice paint this?"

"Yes. We went to the bridge so she could take a picture of the bridge behind me for perspective, but I sat for the painting." Bella's eyes fell to her folded hands as she finished, not sure what Carlisle's reaction to it was.

"I'm going to hang this in my office, that way I will always have your smiling face to look at. I couldn't think of a more perfect present." Carlisle was beaming at his wife, blown away by the beautiful and thoughtful gift.

Bella was so thrilled that he liked it. Shopping for Carlisle was hard enough, but doing so when his birthday and Christmas were the same day made it even more difficult. She watched as he stood up and pulled the two envelopes off the tree. He walked back to her and handed her the gifts. "Here are the last two."

Bella opened the envelope and smiled at the spa day that he had gotten her. Alice and her went there a few times and she knew they had maternity massages, so it was something she could enjoy whenever she wanted. Excited to see the other gift, she tore at the paper and read the handmade card. It wasn't until she opened it and saw the pictures of the furniture inside that she felt the tears well up.

"I told you not to do this," she whispered.

"But sweetheart, you've been doing so much better. You aren't shutting yourself away as much and I heard you whispering to our baby. I think Deena is a lovely name -" Carlisle was cut off by the closest thing to a roar that Bella could manage.

"Deena is not a name for our baby, she was my sister."

"Your sister? But your mother -" This time Carlisle cut himself off as the realization hit.

"That pregnancy went so well for her, she didn't have the spotting or the complications that she'd had with her earlier ones and everyone was so excited that it was finally happening. My mom and dad named her and my grandparents went overboard. Everything was monogrammed, done up in pinks and greens." Bella sucked in a staggered breath before she continued. "My mom was two weeks from her due date when she went into labor. There was a complication … they didn't know if it was something that happened during the labor, or just before and that is what brought it on, but she was a stillborn. My parents gave up after that, I was an accident. One they cherished, but they stopped planning after Deena."

Carlisle wiped away his own tears before pulling Bella into his lap and rocking her carefully. "You were praying to her, asking her to watch over our child."

Bella nodded, as more tears came, "I don't want you to ever feel that kind of pain, Carlisle. I know that after all the things I've done and all the pain I've caused that it would serve me right to suffer that kind of devastation -"

It was Carlisle's turn to cut her off this time, "Don't you ever say that. We've both made mistakes this year, but you don't deserve that kind of pain. You are the most precious thing in my life, Bella."

"Even if something were to happen to the baby?" Bella whispered.

"_If,_ God forbid, something happened to the baby, my sole concern would be making sure that you were all right in mind, body, and spirit. I would never blame you for something that was beyond your control. But I will do everything in my power to make sure that you have a healthy pregnancy and that we have a baby that is as brilliant and good-looking as their mother."

"I love you, Carlisle Cullen," Bella whispered into her husband's neck as she clung to him.

"I love you too, Isabella Cullen."

The remainder of their Christmas was happily uneventful. They spoke to Bella's family just before dinner and that night when they went to bed, Carlisle held Bella as she asked Deena to watch over their baby.

*BOTW*

The New Year was a busy one for the couple, making the second trimester of the pregnancy speed past in comparison to the first one. Bella and Carlisle spoke to her doctor and she now had more frequent appointments, with Carlisle there for everyone.

The day they found out it was a girl Carlisle was on cloud nine. Bella was slowly opening up more when it came to the planning and although she refused to have a baby shower, they did register for gifts so their loved ones could get them something for the baby.

The furniture that Carlisle got Bella for Christmas was now in the nursery and that was the room Carlisle most frequently found Bella in when he came home at night.

At five months along, Bella got the news that seemed to give her the confidence boost she so desperately needed.

It was the evening before Valentine's Day and Carlisle came home to an empty house. He had everything arranged for their date tomorrow, but the fact that his wife wasn't home surprised him. It wasn't that she stayed in like she had a few months ago, but she usually called if she wasn't going to be there when he came back.

Ten minutes later, the door flew open and Bella walked in, a beaming smile on her face and a bag of take-out in her hand.

"Sorry, love, I didn't think you'd beat me home," Bella said as she sat the food on the table.

"That's fine, sweetheart. What's going on that you've got a smile like that on your face?"

Bella blushed as she yelled out, "My book's getting published!"

"It is? Oh my God, Bella that's amazing!" Carlisle swept his wife into his arms, kissing her soundly.

"Garrett called this afternoon, and evidently it took a while to work through the food chain and get to the head of the right division, but they made an offer and Garrett was really pleased. We looked over everything and he sent them the revised contracts from the lawyers. With edits and everything the book should come out this summer."

"This is something worth celebrating," Carlisle said as he went to the kitchen to get the plates and utensils while Bella picked out their drinks.

They sat down to dinner and Bella couldn't hide her excitement, which seemed to flow into every topic. Bella was her old self in that moment and Carlisle couldn't have been happier.

Their date the following day was a beautiful night, and it reminded the couple of some of their first dates. With their troubles in the past, they began the third trimester of Bella pregnancy on sure footing.

Bella spent her days at the apartment, working on her edits so that they would be done before the baby was born. She was worried about how everything would work with the promotion they wanted her to do, but Garrett assured her they wouldn't push her too much with the new baby.

Esme was in full "Auntie Es" mode, as Bella called it, and there were more than one occasion where a single look from his wife prompted Carlisle to lovingly kick his best friend out of their home. They had been able to put off a visit from Bella's parents, telling them to save their vacation until they could see their granddaughter with their own eyes, saving Bella further coddling.

Carlisle knew when to push and when to back off, and it seemed to be working wonders through all of Bella's hormones. She still wouldn't discuss baby names, but Carlisle knew that would come in time.

April turned into May, which soon became June. In all of the book prep and doctor's appointments, Carlisle found out that the NYU mentoring program was honoring him, for his work with the interns and residents.

The ceremony was being held at an annual fundraiser that was scheduled for June 26th, just three days after Bella's due date. Carlisle attempted to beg out of it, but Bella told him that it was fine. She would attend it if she was able, but if not; he should still go and let them celebrate him.

Alice and Esme helped Bella find a dress for the occasion, but Bella prayed that she wouldn't have a need for it. Bella was all for celebrating Carlisle, but knew the chances of her being cheerful if she went past her due date was unlikely.

However, as her due date came and went with no sign of her daughter being ready to make her grand entrance, the doctor advised that Bella could go to the Gala, as long as she didn't overdo it. The pregnancy hadn't been too terrible on Bella, but there was no need for her to push her luck.

The afternoon was filled with pampering at the hands of her sister and best friend while Carlisle played a round of golf with Jasper. Bella was miffed that he got to have fun and then come home for a quick shower before getting dressed and walking out the door.

Esme was rubbing cocoa butter on Bella's rotund belly while Alice pinned the last of her curls into place as the sound of Carlisle's arrival could be heard. He walked to the door of the master bathroom and stopped, speaking to Bella through it.

"I'm going to use the spare bedroom; I'll pick you up at our bedroom door in forty-five minutes, is that enough time?"

"God, I hope so," Bella responded, earning a hearty laugh from her husband.

The time sped by now that he was home and with five minutes to spare, Alice and Esme left. Bella didn't understand why she went anywhere considering she and Jasper would also be in attendance, but she suspected that Carlisle wasn't planning on staying any longer than necessary tonight.

Bella was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, readjusting her now-ample cleavage when Carlisle knocked on the door. She walked into the bedroom, taking the clutch that matched her red strapless dress that gathered over her bump before flowing to the ground, and opened the door.

"My word," Carlisle breathed out, "you are truly stunning."

"And you are a sentimental fool, Carlisle. You didn't have to pick me up at the bedroom door."

"Very good things happened that night, I wanted to recapture a little of that magic. Now, shall we?"

Bella took her husband's arm and walked with him to the door. After the short elevator ride, they exited to a waiting town car. The ride to the hotel where the fundraiser was being held was short and by six forty-five, they were walking into the ballroom and finding a table. Luckily, Carlisle and Bella found Alice and Jasper, who had saved two seats for them.

Dinner came out just after seven and conversation seemed to flow around the room. Carlisle's eyes traveled over to Bella every few minutes and he smiled. If there was a better way for him to receive an honor than having his wife at his side, he couldn't think of one.

After dinner, Carlisle left to sit on the small stage they had set up for those staff members that were being honored. Just before they started the speeches, Bella felt the sudden urge to go to the restroom, so with Alice in tow they left, hoping to be back before Carlisle spoke.

Yet when Carlisle looked to his table as the Chief of the ER spoke about the program and the exceptional work of the attending doctors at the NYU Medical Center, Bella's seat was empty. As Carlisle's name was called, he still saw no sign of his wife.

"Thank you, for bestowing me with this honor. As someone who went through the program here at NYU it was the teachers I had in the field that helped make me the physician that I am today …"

Carlisle was stopped mid-sentence as he saw Alice waving her hands wildly to get his attention. They made eye contact and she began mouthing something that he couldn't understand. Smiling politely, he shot her a look until finally she pantomimed a belly and then pushed her hand downward, finally getting her message across.

"… As much as I would like to take the next few minutes to finish my speech, it seems my wife has just gone into labor. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your evening." No sooner had the words left his mouth than Alice grabbed him by the elbow. "Where is she?"

"Jasper went to get her after going to the valet to get our car."

They made it out to the car and Carlisle climbed into the back seat to sit with his wife.

"Carlisle, I'm scared," Bella moaned out when a contraction hit.

"Sweetheart, you're going to be fine, I promise you."

The car drove the final blocks to the hospital and then Bella was whisked to the maternity ward while Carlisle filled out her paperwork. As soon as he was done, he went up to her room and got the news from the doctor.

"She still has a ways to go, but everything looks good." Her doctor smiled and exited the room.

"Did you hear that? Everything is fine." Carlisle pushed Bella's hair off her face as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Carlisle," Bella whispered, "I had a long talk with my parents and Esme … if everything goes okay with the birth I want to name our daughter Deena. I just feel like without her watching over our baby … it just feels right."

Carlisle smiled a watery grin at Bella and kissed her forehead. "I think Deena is a wonderful name for a little girl. Now you just try and relax before the next contraction hits."

It was six am when Bella was finally told that it was time for her to push. Carlisle stood beside her, whispering encouragements as she bore down and tried to deliver their daughter. Almost an hour later, Bella and Carlisle heard the sweetest sound imaginable, their daughter's first cry.

She was quickly whisked away to be cleaned up, and Bella had to be taken care of, but the family was reunited just in time for Deena's first meal. The nurse handed the tiny infant to Bella and she immediately latched on and began to feed.

Carlisle watched in awe until Bella handed her over to her father for the first time.

"Hello my sweet girl," Carlisle cooed. "You have been a long time coming for your mommy and me, but I guess perfection can't be rushed. I love you and your mommy so much."

"We love you too, Daddy," Bella said, her eyes filled with emotion.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we really need to get her back to the nursery. They'll bring her back in a while." The nurse smiled as she took the baby from her father and left the couple alone for a minute.

"You did a wonderful job, sweetheart."

Bella leaned up to kiss her husband just as he settled next to her on the bed. "I couldn't have done any of this without you, Carlisle."

"Well don't worry, my love, because you'll never have to try." Bella yawned and with a chuckle, Carlisle let his exhausted wife get some rest, because they were going to need it.


End file.
